One Shot For Them All: A Collection of Dramione Stories
by longdistance
Summary: Here you'll find an assortment of random little Dramione themed one shots. No particular theme. Some funny, some fluffy, some serious and painful. Come for the fun, stay for the Dramione.
1. Enough

**Here's the first in a collection of one shots I have. No particular update schedule. Just as I feel like it. I have a few already written. I hope you'll read and review. :)**

* * *

 **Enough**

"Enough!"

All eyes turned towards him suddenly and he did his best not to shrink under their dark glares.

Draco swallowed nervously, knowing there was no going back now. He'd heard the sound of Dobby apparating the rest of her friends out of the dungeons, even over her screams which kept his parents and aunt preoccupied. She was the only one left now.

"What did you just say," his aunt demanded. When he stood silent, chest heaving under the pressure, she yelled it. " **WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?** "

"Enough," he finally managed after he found his voice.

He pushed past his parents and stood in front of her. His aunt stood as well, blocking him from his former classmate who was watching, a myriad of emotions dancing through her watery brown eyes.

Draco scowled at his aunt and moved around her, avoiding her touch and crouched next to Hermione. He carefully gripped her under the arms and began tugging her up.

"Come on, Granger," he muttered only for her to hear. "You're going to have to show some semblance of strength or they'll have us both."

"Have you gone mad, dear boy," he aunt whispered in a dark tone. Her dark eyes glittered with mischief and a slight smirk set her lips in an upwards tilt.

When Draco finally had Hermione on her feet, he rearranged his hold on her, one arm curled around her waist as he held the small, slumping witch against his chest protectively. He could feel her back heave against his chest with every pull of breath she took.

"She's not a plaything," he finally ground out through gritted teeth. He was all too aware of the attention on him from his parents and his aunt. "Can't you see? Did you not see when you cut into her that she bleeds just like you do? She's a fucking human being," he shouted the last part, ignoring the flinch of the witch in his arms.

"Draco," his father started but stopped when he drew his wand on him.

"No. This is enough. _I've_ had enough."

Draco glanced down at Hermione to find her brown eyes waiting for his notice. Thankful to be skilled in legilimency, he gave her a sharp nod before glancing back to his family. He noticed his aunt reaching for the mark on her arm and gave them no more thought as he focused on apparating to the destination in her mind.

The all too familiar swirl of magic enveloped them, pulling them in on themselves. Draco held tightly to her as the force of it slammed them into the sand of the beach just meters away from Shell Cottage. He quickly righted her in his arms once he regained his balance and lifted her, one arm under her knees and the other around her back.

They both eyed each other, not yet acknowledging the shouts of her friends who had spotted them and were rushing towards them.

"Why," she finally asked, her small, trembling hands gripping his fine shirt carefully.

Brown eyes bore into grey and he swallowed the array of emotions in his throat.

"I'd had enough."


	2. Liquid Luck

**Liquid Luck**

"I don't have a type, Blaise."

The Italian rolled his eyes at his best friend and took a sip of his wine. He glanced around the Ministry's annual Christmas party at all of the people gathered. Everyone knew the event was just a façade for all departments to come together and get drunk once a year for no apparent reason other than 'Christmas cheer'. Everyone showed up in their finest and mingled for the better part of the evening. It wasn't uncommon for new romantic relationships to evolve from said event, though most were ill advised. Not due to the fact that it was an office romance but more due to the liquor involved in the initial decision.

Blaise observed a group of aurors from the Magical Law Enforcement office all huddled at a circular table. He frowned at the group of them, laughing and joking amongst themselves. The whole lot of them both enraged him while at the same time commanded his respect. Most departments looked up to the annoying lot due to their leadership and the fact that they'd had a large influence in purging the Ministry of its old elitist and narrow-minded leaders. Without that, most former Death Eaters would have never been considered for a job but Hermione Granger herself had insisted that _'reverse prejudice to those now reformed was still prejudice'_.

He finally turned back to his friend and nudged him, a small smirk in place. "Like hell you don't. Your type is Granger."

The blonde wizard snorted. "Right," Draco Malfoy drawled, "Like I'd go after her."

"Only because you think she won't have you."

Draco's expression darkened at the reminder, at the fact that his friend was right and slammed his empty glass on the bar behind him before he stomped off without a word.

Blaise lifted his glass to his lips with an annoyed sigh. He'd been like that ever since Blaise picked up on his feelings for the Muggle-born witch at the last Christmas party. He'd laughed when Draco had accidently found himself stuck under charmed mistletoe with the witch. She'd turned red with embarrassment while he'd looked completely stricken. Neither could move until their lips touched and practically the whole Ministry was watching as they pecked each other awkwardly and rushed to escape.

He'd needled him playfully at first until he realized that his friend actually liked the woman.

 _"How long have you been hiding that?!"_

 _Draco shrugged, avoiding eye contact and focused on his drink. "Since she slapped me third year. A bit difficult to hate someone and yet be attracted to them simultaneously but I managed."_

He shook his head at the memory.

"Oi, what's his problem," Harry Potter asked as he stepped up to the bar to gather a drink.

Blaise tipped his head towards the gaggle of aurors. "Granger, as always."

Of course, what Draco didn't realize is that the attraction went both ways. He and Potter had been conspiring together once they realized that their friends were both harboring similar feelings about one another.

"Merlin," Harry groaned and accepted a tumbler of firewhiskey from the bartender. "You know people aren't as oblivious as those two think. I think everyone suspects they like each other. What with the awkward way they act when they run into each other in the mailroom." He shook his head, "Why doesn't he just say something and put us all out of our misery? I know for a fact that he doesn't sleep with all those women he takes out."

Blaise tipped up an eyebrow questioningly at the auror.

He rolled his eyes as he turned to the wizard next to him. "I'm an auror, Zabini. People talk and I listen. It's how I get shit done in this place."

"So what do you suggest, Potter? I've been egging the idiot on for months to make a move and ask her out."

Harry reached to adjust his glasses and his mouth quirked up into a grin. "How about a repeat performance from last year but with a bit of added help?"

Blaise turned to him with a familiar smirk. "Dare I say, Potter that sounds downright Slytherin of you."

The auror grinned and reached into his trouser pocket and produced a simple, clear vial. "I got this off a potion-maker recently as a thanks. I had a feeling I might need it tonight."

"Is that—?" Blaise eyed the tiny vial in awe.

Harry nodded. "A little liquid luck should do the trick. Then we can't be guilty of charming them. Merlin knows Hermione would have my balls if she found out I tampered with her free will, even for the sake of her love life."

Blaise snorted and nodded.

He took the vial first and managed to slip half into Draco's drink when he finally returned from his sulking in the men's room. He managed to quickly slip it back to Harry who then poured the latter half into the glass of wine he offered to get for Hermione.

Both men reconvened at the bar to watch the fireworks when both Draco and Hermione set off towards the entrance at the same time for a bit of fresh air. They grinned at each other when they noticed the charmed mistletoe hanging over the archway before the entrance.

The two bumped into each other as they approached from opposite directions.

Hermione flushed a bit when she realized who she'd ran into and offered him an awkward smile. She was feeling rather funny all of a sudden and had wanted to escape for a moment of fresh air. All night she'd been trying not to think of the possibility of getting stuck under charmed mistletoe with the wizard again.

Draco Malfoy had changed much from their time in school and while still sarcastic and smirking, she found him rather interesting now. He'd grown up and no longer slung slurs at her. She'd secretly held a bit of stupid crush on him for the last couple of years.

"Sorry," he muttered. He, too, found himself feeling rather odd and wanted a moment away from the noise.

An odd sinking feeling settled in his gut suddenly and he slowly looked up over their heads. "Salazar take me," he closed his eyes irritably as he muttered to himself.

Hermione followed his attention and found the charmed mistletoe above them. She, too, felt rather irritable to be in this situation again. Not because she didn't want to kiss the man. On the contrary, she'd welcome it but she felt certain that he wouldn't. He may no longer hurl insults her way but he hadn't exactly shown any interest in getting to know her.

"Might as well get it over with," she offered with a nervous smile.

Draco swallowed nervously and nodded. He was thankful she was wearing heels tonight. She was a good bit shorter than him and at least he wouldn't have to crane his neck too much to reach her.

He didn't bother glancing around to see if they'd attracted any attention and was thankful when she tilted her head back expectantly. Not wanting to prolong it, Draco pressed his mouth against hers gently. He heard the witch's soft sigh at the contact and for some unknown reason decided to test his luck as he moved his lips against hers to deepen it.

Though slightly surprised, Hermione didn't push him away and instead welcomed the deepened kiss. She felt a bit frustrated at his soft passes and gentle tugging. Feeling like maybe he didn't want to scare her, she tested her luck as she reached up with one hand to thread her fingers through the short hair at the back of his head and deepened the kiss further when she brushed the tip of her tongue across the seam of his mouth.

Draco growled from deep in his chest and finally gripped the witch's hips with both hands as he hauled her to him. He nearly lost it when she allowed him to push his tongue past her lips to tangle with her own.

As they continued to snog right there under the charmed mistletoe for all to see, neither was aware of their mutual friends watching with satisfied grins from the bar.

Blaise nodded to himself and held his hand out to Harry. "Potter, it's been a pleasure working with you."

"Likewise, Zabini," he grinned.


	3. Forever, If You Want

**Forever, If You Want**

After starting at the Ministry, they'd struck up a rather odd friendship, particularly influenced by her realizing how much he'd changed since school and the war. He'd listened to her gripe for over a year about how Weasley didn't appreciate her job or the time and effort she put into being taken seriously by her mentor. He brooded silently when she left him after a friendly kiss on the cheek to meet him for date.

He appreciated her random bursts of interruption to break up the monotony of his work week, bored with the useless paper pushing. She encouraged him to do what he really enjoyed and start his own potions company. By Christmas, he did just that. As she often told him, it's not like he didn't have the funds to support it.

However, over the next three years he tired of watching her rant over how much Weasley ridiculed her seriousness, her need to occupy her mind, the fact that she was so close to _him_ , or the fact that she refused to get physical with the git because she wasn't ready yet. He squirmed when she broached the idea of marrying the idiot but held his poker face intact.

But on her twenty-third birthday, he couldn't contain it anymore. Somewhere along the way, he'd fallen in love with her. Poetic justice for being such a prick to her their entire childhood.

"And can you believe he forgot? Ron actually forgot my birthday!"

Draco stood leaning against his kitchen counter eating the muggle yogurt she'd introduced him to, appearing bored as usual with her ranting over the git.

Hermione turned more serious as she turned to face him with wide eyes. "And Ginny thinks he's going to propose soon. Merlin," she whispered as though she was ashamed to say what she said next, "Draco, I don't think I want to marry him."

He finally shrugged and set the plastic container of yogurt aside on the counter behind him. "So don't."

"What?"

"Don't marry the git," he shrugged again.

She sighed as she slumped against the opposite counter and directed her attention to her shoes. The most lovely satin heels that he'd bought for her on her last birthday—the pair she'd spotted when he'd joined her for a frivolous afternoon in muggle London and refused to buy herself because they were, as she put it, far too extravagant.

Hermione huffed a harsh laugh and glanced up at him with sad eyes. "But honestly, Draco. I know he's not irreplaceable but…I don't know. I don't know who else would tolerate my work habits, or things like how anal retentive I am about how my books are arranged on the damn coffee table. Who else would have me?"

His brow furrowed at that. It wasn't often when she admitted her insecurities, to him or anyone else. But he knew. It was part of how they'd become so close at work. He'd apologized for his years of torment and she'd admitted her fears about her life in this world to him.

So confident this witch was in who she was but not in what the world saw when they looked at her and it puzzled him greatly.

Draco pushed away from the counter and stepped closer until his was right in front of her. He looked her over from the satin shoes to the flattering black dress she'd obviously put on hoping her bloody boyfriend was going to show up anyway and take her to dinner to celebrate— _her_.

He reached up with a hesitant hand, fully aware that what he said next could muck up their entire friendship. He didn't have many friends still. Not due to the fact that people still openly shunned him but because he'd been content with just the few he had. The real ones.

He brushed a few stray curls behind her ear and trailed his fingers across the delicate lobe of her ear. "I'd have you."

Hermione shivered at the intimate touch but more so from the intense look in his grey eyes now studying her so closely. Her breath faltered for a moment at his words.

"What," she whispered.

Draco swallowed and allowed himself one more look over before he potentially ruined their friendship forever.

"You asked who'd have you," he answered calmly. "And I would. I'd have had you years ago but I've always known that I never had a chance. I was content to be your friend instead. It was more than I deserved anyway." He shrugged and let his hand fall limply to his side as he prepared for her emotions to revolt. "But you asked, and you know how badly I hate hearing you being so self-deprecating."

His lips twitched at the corners in an effort to force a smile but failed. The way she was staring at him now made him certain he'd gone too far. It was too late though.

He turned his back to her to throw away the remnants of his snack. He spoke with his back still to her. "I'll understand if you're upset. I probably shouldn't have said anything."

Hermione swallowed nervously and nodded to his back. "I-uh," she chewed her lip uselessly as her mind whirled. She needed to act now and act fast or she'd lose her nerve. "I need to go. I'll be back later though. Promise."

Draco turned back to her and nodded, knowing full and well that she wouldn't be back. No matter that she never broke a promise. This wasn't the same and it wasn't a true promise.

"Try to enjoy the rest of your birthday," was all he could manage before she was out the door of his flat, leaving him alone again.

Malfoys didn't cry and he was fairly certain he'd lost the ability after the war anyway. Instead of allowing the reality of what he'd already expected to crush him, he just trudged off to his bedroom to shower and read. If he were lucky, sleep would take him without any dreams. However, he was rarely lucky and those days were rare.

This day was inevitable should he ever admit what he felt. He knew what he was risking but maybe, just maybe, she'd do what would make her happy and not marry the idiot if that's what she wanted.

It was three in the morning when he heard the knocking. The insistent beating of a fist against his flat's door. His grey eyes cracked open slowly, tiredly from their dreamless state and he took in the glowing red numbers on the muggle clock she'd gotten him.

He groaned at the ache in his back as he pushed himself to his feet. Falling asleep reading was something he shouldn't indulge as he always did it in such horrible positions. He was coherent enough to slip a pair of pajama pants on not bothering with a shirt as he trudged down the hall to his front door. The person beating on the other side wasn't giving up and frankly he wasn't in the mood.

"Alright, alright. Don't get your wand in a knot," he grumbled loudly as he shuffled to the door.

He wrenched the door open quickly and his heart stopped. Hermione stood there breathing heavily. Dressed in jeans and an oversized sweater now, her eyes were rimmed red but her expression was lighter than when she'd left him earlier.

He watched her chocolate eyes connect with his before slowly making their way down his body. Her cheeks tinted pink before resuming eye contact.

"Will you still," she asked after a silent beat.

His sleep addled brain was slow to catch on and he shook his head. "What?"

He noted the way her throat bobbed nervously and her tongue darted across her lower lip. "Will you still have me?"

Draco's lips parted in surprise and he blinked quickly. "Forever, if you want," he finally managed.

He wasn't quite prepared when she launched herself at him. The moment her lips crashed into his he nearly lost himself as he groaned. He caught her under her thighs and kicked his door shut as she wrapped her legs around his bare waist. He turned her to press her back into the wood as their lips pushed and pulled at each other. The tip of his tongue grazed the seam of her lips and he fought a deep growl when she allowed him entrance to stroke her own.

It was the most intense and wild first kiss he'd ever experienced. At first they fought each other for dominance before finally finding their rhythm. Gentle caresses and short nips and licks, she moaned into his mouth as his hand brushed along her rear.

After so many years of pining for her silently it was liberating to feel the heat of her body pressed into his, reciprocating his wants and needs without him asking.

Sensing her shortness of breath, Draco gentled the kiss until he could pull back and rest his forehead on hers. They stayed that way for a moment, the heavy puffs of each other's breath fanning their faces.

"He didn't understand at first," she spoke after a moment when her voice finally found her again. "But…well I think we'll still be able to be friends."

Draco pulled back enough to make out the chocolate swirls of gold in her eyes, finally feeling the hot palms of her small hands reverently caressing the span of his bare shoulders, somewhat distracted by the bulge of muscles at his biceps. "And you and I? Will we still be friends?"

He shivered when her hand came up to graze her fingertips along his jaw before tracing the outline of his mouth. The way the corners of her mouth turned up just the faintest gave him hope.

"We will," she nodded. "But it's hard to be _just friends_ with your spouse—especially when you're sleeping with them." She grinned at his slack jawed expression. "You did say forever if I wanted, didn't you?"

He nodded quickly, his grip on her thighs tightening minutely in his eagerness. "I did."

"Then I think I'll have you, Draco." She leaned forward and pressed another kiss to his lips. "Forever, if you want."


	4. Artificial Insemination

**For anyone who's having a rough day, here's a little wacky humor for you. Read and review, please. :)**

* * *

 **Artificial Insemination**

Never in her life did Hermione Granger imagine that she'd be sitting in the waiting room of a muggle fertility clinic. Prior to being married, she'd only had one sexual partner and even then the experience was only what could be considered lackluster. She'd really not known what she was missing before with Ron.

They'd not had sex often and it wasn't horrible. It just didn't inspire grandiose emotions or world-rocking feelings. She decided post-breakup that she was perfectly fine never getting married or having a sex life. Frankly, she felt rather disillusioned with relationships in general.

So when the Ministry of Magic decided five years after the war that the British wizarding population wasn't recovering as it should they enforced a marriage law. Each person's selection was made based upon an elaborate interview and assessment of their daily life. Imagine her surprise when they matched her with her former nemesis and irritating co-worker, Draco Malfoy.

They got along these days well enough considering they were forced to work together in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He as an auror and her as the deputy head of the department. He didn't much enjoy reporting to her but that was just the way of things. He was still an arrogant prat but he followed her orders to a T and she could always count that he'd get whatever she assigned accomplished. It seemed they'd developed a begrudging level of respect for each other.

That did not, however, mean that they were open to being married to each other! Yet they'd had no choice. When the topic of sex and children came up in their pre-marriage interviews, they both cringed. Yet, Hermione being as informed as she was on both magical and muggle world, offered up an alternative: artificial insemination.

Draco had been a bit confused at first considering the wizarding world had never heard of such a thing but once she explained the basics he seemed keen on the idea. Children without sex. Seemed perfect for two people who'd not even been friends growing up.

So that's how just one month after their marriage ceremony, Hermione found herself reading a book in the waiting room of a muggle fertility clinic while Draco provided his 'sample'. She'd only read one chapter before the doors leading to the patient rooms burst open and he strode out with determined strides towards her, a nurse waving a plastic cup and hot on his heels.

"Nope, not happening," Draco shook his head repeatedly at the woman and rushed around the seats of surprised muggle towards his Ministry selected wife.

Hermione glanced up from the book she was reading with wide eyes as he stomped past a surprised nurse and into the waiting room, heading straight for her.

"Draco, wha—"

He shook his head so vigorously that a few strands of well-gelled hair fell loose. "Let's go, Granger. We're going to do this the old fashioned way."

Hermione stood from her seat and smiled weakly at the people staring once he was right in front of her. "Malfoy," she muttered through gritted teeth, "we've been over this. Neither of us is especially interested in a sexual relationship."

Draco glanced her over from head to toe quickly, taking note of her slender but shapely build, the tight jeans and snug Henley top, and nodded his head. "Nope, I can manage just fine. I'm not doing that into a fucking cup."

He grabbed her hand without another word and began dragging her out of the clinic.

"Have you gone mad, Draco," she shrieked as he pulled her along down the sidewalk.

He stopped and spun around to face her so fast she would have run right into him if he hadn't grabbed her shoulders first.

"Do you have any idea what they wanted me to _do_?" He shook his head stubbornly when she nodded. "They wanted me to…right into a plastic cup! That's just unnatural!"

Hermione watched his wide eyes and the twitching of his mouth and finally lost it as she doubled over in a fit of giggles. "Merlin, Draco, what did you think they'd have you do when I explained it the first time?"

He scowled at the way she was laughing at him, still holding her stomach with one hand as she reached to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.

"I'm not sure exactly but that certainly wasn't what I had in mind. You should have seen the... _literature_ ," he sneered, "they handed me to _help_ with the job. Who'd be turned on by that rubbish?"

Hermione shrugged, having regained her composure. "Most muggle men seem to like it, I suppose."

His lip curled in disgust and he grabbed her hand again and began pulling her in the direction of the spacious townhome he insisted on purchasing for them.

"Well, I'm not a bloody muggle. Fuck that rubbish. We're doing this the old fashioned way and will just deal with the awkward consequences later."

Hermione squeaked as he jerked her with him.

Draco didn't allow himself to think twice once they made it home. He locked and warded the door and immediately attacked her mouth in a hot kiss. She was taken by surprise but after easing into the physical contact, she moaned softly under his touch. She was barely aware of when he lifted her and urged her to wrap her legs around his waist as he navigated the stairs, his mouth still seeking hers all the while.

Somehow he managed to make it to her room and kicked the door shut, not wanting her blasted cat to interrupt.

It wasn't until late the next morning when Draco finally rose from bed. He rolled out of bed as quietly as possible and snuck off for a quick shower. He was in the kitchen, dressed finally in dark jeans and a t-shirt when the flames of their fireplace roared, signaling someone coming in through the floo network. He didn't so much as flinch when Ginny Potter entered the kitchen to find him seated comfortably with a cup of coffee and the morning paper.

"Malfoy," she greeted politely as she approached.

He glanced over the top of his paper with one quirked eyebrow and gave her a tight nod. "Morning, Red."

Ginny rolled her eyes at the greeting but knew it was better than his old quips of 'Potterette' or 'ginger banshee'. It had been one of the terms of his marriage to her best friend that he be more civil to all of her friends.

She stopped behind a chair across the table from him and rested her hands on top of the chair. "Where's Hermione? We're supposed to go shopping this morning."

"Hm?" He glanced up again. "Oh, she's still in bed. I exhausted her."

Two thin, red eyebrows lifted at his words. "You _what_?!"

Draco folded the paper and set it on the table. "She's sleeping peacefully if you'd keep your voice down. I said I exhausted her."

"H-how," she stuttered, scared to hear the answer.

He shrugged. "We're supposed to be working on this whole baby nonsense. How do you think?"

Her eyes widened now and her eyebrows nearly reached her hairline. "I thought you'd decided on that muggle artificial thing."

He nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, about that. It was just…too weird for me. This was far more enjoyable," he grinned. "Don't know why I was so resistant anyway."

They both glanced towards the doorway when the sounds of bare feet on the tile floor alerted them to her presence. Hermione entered the room wearing an oversized bathrobe and rubbing at her eyes tiredly. Her hair was a bit unruly still and her face flushed with sleep. She didn't even seem to notice either of them as she made straight for the coffee pot.

"Merlin, he's bloody insatiable," she muttered to herself.

"Hermione," Ginny finally called after a moment.

Hermione looked up finally and noticed the two of them. She shook her head tiredly. "Sorry, Gin, I nearly forgot about this morning." She glared at her husband next.

Draco grinned smugly. "Don't look so put out, Sweetheart. You admitted yourself that you'd never climaxed before me. I think four is pretty impressive for one evening."

A dark blush flooded the brunette witch's cheeks at his remark and she chanced a shy glance at her best friend.

Ginny bit her lip, trying desperately not to laugh. The situation was ridiculous but who was she to judge? She knew Hermione hadn't been happy with her brother in the bedroom.

Hermione finally huffed and glared at him again. "Just for that we're not doing it in our library like I promised. Kiss that fantasy goodbye, Malfoy!"

She stomped off back to her room to change, leaving Ginny alone with the blonde wizard who was now looking slightly miffed.

He folded his arms over his chest and looked up at the witch. "What? I've called her a bookworm for years. Like I'm not going to fantasize about shagging her amongst a pile of books!"


	5. Wager On It

**Wager On It**

His jaw tightened as the muggle-born witch sitting across from him moved her chess piece. She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest smugly, her brown eyes connecting with his, a single eyebrow lifted expectantly.

Lucius sneered at the young woman and turned his attention to the chess board. The bloody woman had trapped him. There was utterly no way out of the strategy she'd used. He glanced up with hard grey eyes to find her now sporting an amused smirk, not unlike his son's.

With a heavy sigh he reached for the only viable option, an effort to hold out as long as he could. He moved the piece and tried not to convulse when she clicked her tongue in disapproval.

Hermione reached for her next piece and moved it along the board smoothly.

"Check," she spoke in her most polite tone.

Lucius groaned inwardly and reached for his cane near his side as he stood. "Fine, you win. You and Draco may reside wherever you wish after the bloody wedding."

Hermione bit her lower lip to contain her grin as she watched her soon-to-be father-in-law stomp out of the drawing room. She stood as Draco peeked inside the room and then stepped inside with a satisfied smirk.

"I told him not to challenge you," Draco boasted. "He was convinced he could beat you at chess and made that ridiculous bet."

Hermione met him in the doorway and allowed him to wrap her up in his arms. She felt his hand brush her hair from her neck as he craned his head to begin peppering fluttery kisses along her jaw.

"One of these days he'll learn not to take me on," she muttered softly.

Draco straightened and looked down at her warmly, admiring the flush across her freckled cheeks. "That or you'll eventually embarrass him so much that he can't take anymore bruising to his ego. Frankly, I look forward to it," he chuckled.

Hermione took his hand when he reached for hers to lead her out of the room and to the dining room. "I don't know why he thought it was even necessary. If we didn't listen to him when he told you not to date me then why did he think we'd listen when we decided to live somewhere besides the Manor after we're married."

Draco lifted her left hand clasped in his and placed a pointed kiss on her knuckles just over her engagement ring. "He doesn't learn, or did you not gather that during the war?"

"Hmm," she hummed, "no comment."

They entered the dining room where only Narcissa currently resided. She greeted the couple with a smile and waited as they took a seat across from her at the small dining table. The larger one was removed whenever she knew to be expecting Hermione. Many changes had occurred since the muggle-born witch had stolen Draco's attention, least of all more intimate dining arrangements.

"I can only assume," she began after a sip of her wine, "that your father is off pouting in his study and won't be joining us now."

Draco shrugged and reached for the roast to serve Hermione and then himself. "I told him not to wager with her. He never listens."

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Bloody infuriating man. Granted, I suppose I should be thankful that the only battle he's truly put effort into fighting was your breaking tradition by not residing at the Manor with your wife." She eyed Hermione pointedly with a kind smile. "It was a shock enough when he didn't put up too much fight when Draco first announced your relationship."

Hermione slapped Draco's wandering hand caressing up her denim clad thigh under the table. "You weren't the only one shocked," she muttered.

Everyone looked up when Lucius stomped into the room and took his seat next to his wife. He eyed the younger couple across from them pointedly.

"Fine, you've won this one, Miss Granger," he glared. "But I demand that the first born son carry the name Lucius just as Draco does with his middle name."

Draco rolled his eyes at his father and slumped in his seat. Narcissa shook her head with a sigh.

Hermione's lips tipped up into a smirk and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Care to wager on it?"


	6. Christmas Eve Beginnings

**Here's a long one for you guys. Please read and review. :)**

* * *

 **Christmas Eve Beginnings**

Hermione Granger sighed as she listened to Professor Slughorn drone on about the use of mandrake trimmings in the potion they'd be making that day. Double potions didn't usually bother her but she was midway through the repeat of her seventh year and school was rather depressing. She still had her books and plenty of assignments to preoccupy her but with half of her original class choosing not to attend post-war, it made for a rather strange social dynamic.

Harry and Ron had started training as aurors and she'd encouraged them to follow their passion. However, she'd just not be able to live with herself if she didn't take her N.E.W.T.S. and officially finish her education. She was joined by Neville and a few other Gryffindors, including Ginny. She wasn't completely lacking for company but everyone from her year knew that the atmosphere was different.

Gone was the open animosity between houses, replaced with quiet curiosity or just mild iciness. Most notably, the Slytherins and Gryffindors weren't at each other's throats as they had been in years past. It seemed a quiet truce of sorts had been agreed upon without any formal arrangement. They mostly ignored each other minus short, polite words exchanged in the halls.

Hermione perked up when Slughorn instructed them to form pairs and begin brewing their potions. She gave Neville a calm smile and nodded as he glanced at her questioningly. He was usually a fairly competent partner but she did have to watch him a bit closer than some. He didn't get as nervous as he used to but he overthought things still.

They both removed their robes and pushed up the sleeves of their uniforms to get down to business without much fuss.

"Going home for Christmas," he asked conversationally as they chopped the needed boomslang skins.

Hermione shrugged and dumped her pile into the boiling cauldron. "My parents won't be home yet. The counter spell takes some time to completely take and they won't be ready to return from Australia until at least May. Harry and Ron are checking in on them regularly for me."

Neville swallowed and licked at his lower lip. "I know how it feels," he muttered softly and ducked his head to their work again. "To know that they see you but not really _see_ you."

Hermione's throat tightened as she glanced up to meet his eyes. He'd never spoken of his parents much but obviously was doing so in attempt to make her feel better. To commiserate a bit. Her stomach lurched slightly and she felt guilty.

"I shouldn't complain," she responded quietly.

He stopped her with a hand on hers, a bright glint in his eyes suddenly. "It's ok to feel the way you do, Hermione. You shouldn't feel guilty for it."

"Yes, but—"

"No buts," he shook his head with a smile. He was always so kind. It was no wonder that Hannah Abbott had taken a liking to him this year.

"Thank you, Neville."

He shrugged and reached for his potions text. "Maybe invite me over for dinner once you have them back. I've been curious about dentistry for some time."

She laughed softly and nodded. "It's a deal."

While they'd been having their quiet conversation, neither had noticed the growing commotion at the station next to them. Dennis Creevey's cauldron was boiling over, popping and beginning to draw the attention of the whole class.

"Oh shit," they heard him mutter. "Duck!"

Hermione whirled around, reacting too late when the cauldron exploded and hot liquid splashed the surrounding area. Being as close as she was, she wasn't able to move in time when the potion caught her exposed left forearm.

She shrieked rather loudly, drawing attention from the cauldron and now to her scalded skin. Neville was quickly at her side as were many other students. Everyone wanted a look at what had happened, wide-eyed with fear or shock.

"Oh dear, dear," Slughorn tutted as he hurried over.

Hermione stood there shakily holding her arm at the elbow away from her body. The potion burned something fierce and everyone seemed too shocked to know what to do.

"Mr. Creevey, some water and be quick!"

She bit her lip as she tried her best to rein in the pain and control her trembling. She'd encountered much worse than this during the war and wasn't going to be brought to her knees by a bloody ill-brewed potion.

"She needs to see Madam Pomfrey," a student shouted out over the flutter of noise.

"Oh yes," Slughorn nodded in agreement, "likely a fast solution."

Hermione had to fight the urge to roll her eyes as the man worried at a slight distance. He was a brilliant potions master but slightly useless in a pinch.

"Oh move!" someone shouted over the chattering.

She sucked in a heavy breath when Draco Malfoy shoved his way towards her. His hard grey eyes met hers for a single moment before he frowned and approached closer, almost hesitant but still determined in his stride.

She hardly had the opportunity to blink before he scooped her up, an arm around her back and under her knees as he turned. His warm body burned through her uniform and she could feel his chest moving with every breath he took.

"Well, move out of the way, you idiots!"

"What are you doing, Malfoy," Ginny interjected quickly, having been too shocked before to speak.

His cold gaze landed on the redhead and he sneered. "What's it look like, Weasley? Taking your friend to the infirmary."

Draco shoved past them, not having to do much more as people naturally cleared a path for him. He jostled her a bit to get a better grip as he ascended the steps out of the dungeon nearly two at a time.

Hermione was a bit too shocked to form a coherent response as he rushed them along the various staircases making a clear path for the infirmary.

She'd been shocked to see him at the beginning of the year. He'd been standing alone on platform 9 ¾ with a lone trunk, his broom, and a defeated expression evident on his features. She'd not paid him much attention after that. He'd been denied any prefect privileges due to his participation in the war, despite that the Ministry had ruled it mostly as an act of survival on both his and his mother's part. His father had been sent to Azkaban on a one-way ticket.

She hadn't witnessed his trial but heard from Harry that he'd seemed sincere. Her friend assured her that he wouldn't have testified for him and his last minute defection after the Room of Requirement incident if he didn't feel certain that he was intent to repent.

Boarding the train, he'd given her a polite nod as she passed his empty compartment while performing her patrol as Head Girl, but said nothing. She'd considered it a victory in civility at the time and decided not to think of him much as long as he kept his distance and stayed in line this year.

And he had. He hadn't spoken to hardly anyone at all and kept quiet when other students attempted to pick fights with him which thankfully didn't happen often. It seemed most were content to pretend he didn't exist and he seemed fine with it.

So to have her former enemy suddenly pluck her up from the floor and bodily carry her to the infirmary to have her arm treated properly was surprising to say the least. She held her arm far away from them both as he rushed along the final corridor, trying terribly hard not to focus at the moment on the insanity of what she was experiencing.

Draco kicked the door open and stepped through, careful not to bang her into the doorframe. They didn't wait long before Madam Pomfrey came rushing from her office to attend to her.

"Oh my," she sputtered. She took a quick look and the pointed sternly to the closest cot. "Place her there, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco nodded without a word and set her down, far more gently than she would have thought him capable, on the cot she'd indicated. He straightened and took a conservative step back as the school nurse rushed back again with supplies in tow.

"What's happened," she questioned him over her shoulder.

He frowned when Hermione squirmed a bit under the cloth dipped in some sort of cleansing potion. "Some idiot's potion blew up. She was standing too close."

Madam Pomfrey shook her head in disapproval and removed the cloth. "Mr. Malfoy, hand me that jar of cream, won't you?"

Draco reached for the jar and handed it over quickly before resuming his curious protective stance. Hermione finally glanced over the nurse's head at him, studying him as he stood there watching. She saw something flicker in his eyes and he averted his gaze off to the side.

"Alright, Mr. Malfoy, I want you to apply some pressure here with this cloth while I go prepare some bandages. With any luck, Miss Granger won't have more than a little scar."

He looked rather alarmed to be brought back into the fold and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. However, he followed her order and took up the stool the nurse had just been occupying. He cradled Hermione's forearm with one hand and pressed the cloth into her skin with the other, eyes focused on his task and completely avoiding her own.

"Very good," she nodded. "I'll only be a moment."

Hermione watched as the witch hurried back towards her office and once she was certain they were alone she sighed. "You don't have to do this, Malfoy."

He shrugged, still avoiding her gaze. "It's fine, Granger." He pressed a little more firmly and heard her sharp intake of breath. He finally looked up cautiously and met her dark eyes. "Alright?"

She swallowed and nodded. "I've had worse." She eyed her forearm pointedly. It was the same one with the horrible slur his aunt had carved into it that night in his own home. "I can handle it."

Draco followed her eyes and licked his lips. He nodded, "I know you can. Doesn't mean you have to."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the blonde in front of her. Forced to study him up close for the first time this year, she could see that he looked better than he had their sixth year or even during the war. Pale as always, his skin didn't look so sallow. He'd gained back the bit of weight he'd lost and he'd grown a few inches taller.

She couldn't imagine life was easy for him now. Not that she'd been overly concerned much. However, she wasn't cruel and didn't really like seeing the aftereffects the war had on so many. Maybe he'd be ok, too. Maybe they all would.

"I'm sorry."

She looked up suddenly and found his cool, grey eyes on her. She blinked at him and shrugged. "It wasn't your potion that exploded."

"No," he shook his head and averted his eyes again. "I'm sorry. For…everything. All of it."

She studied him for a moment. She watched the careful way he held her arm, his skin warm and alive against hers. Watched the way he licked his lips as he concentrated on his assigned task and noted that he didn't seem repulsed to be touching her as he would have in the past.

"You mean it," she asked after a moment.

Draco lifted his head and met her brown eyes again. He gave a short nod and ducked his head again. "They're just words, I know but—"

"Leave it." She shook her head and nodded towards Madam Pomfrey who was rushing back finally with the needed bandages.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. I'll take it from here." He nodded and slowly removed himself again as he stepped back. "You may return to class now. Miss Granger should be fine from here."

Draco cast her one final look and gave a sharp nod before exiting the infirmary with nearly as much flourish as he'd entered it with her in his arms.

Hermione hated that she was made to stay the rest of the afternoon in the infirmary to 'rest', as Madam Pomfrey had said, and missed her last class. She entered the Great Hall in time for dinner and slid into her usual seat next to Neville and across from Ginny.

"I brought your books back to our room," Ginny informed her as she shoveled potatoes and roast on her plate. The redhead tipped her head curiously. "Are you alright? We wanted to go after you but Professor Slughorn said it wasn't necessary. Especially when Malfoy came back by himself."

Hermione glanced across the Great Hall and searched the Slytherin table. She spotted the blonde in question and watched as he ate his meal in the usual solitude he enjoyed. He seemed to feel her gaze on him and looked up suddenly from the book next to his plate. They merely stared at each other for a moment before he gave her a short nod and averted his gaze again.

She looked back to her friend's expectant look and offered her a small smile. "I'm fine. I just have to put the cream Madam Pomfrey gave me on my arm for a few days and she said it should be good as new. No scarring."

Ginny eyed her bandaged forearm where her sleeve was still pushed up to accommodate and swallowed. They all knew what scar did still hide underneath.

"I got your homework for you from Arithmancy," Neville smiled.

She returned his smile, thankful for the distraction. She really got rather tired of the pity from everyone for the blasted scar. Yes, the crazy bitch had marked her for life but the healer's had done a nice job with it and most didn't notice it unless they were looking rather intently for it. Most of all, she didn't believe the slur on her arm.

"It was rather strange how Malfoy just…whisked you off like that," Ginny noted as she pushed the food on her plate around. "He's not said much all year. What got his wand in a knot, I wonder."

Hermione shrugged, "No idea."

Though after having the afternoon to consider it. She thought she might. Perhaps he'd been looking for an opportunity to apologize all year.

After dinner she excused herself from joining them in the common room and moved on to the library for some studying in solitude. Sometimes, as much as she loved the company, she needed a bit of time to herself.

Thankfully, the library was mostly empty when she arrived. She moved towards her favorite spot in the back corner near the charms section only to find it already occupied by her blonde, Slytherin savior. She stopped short at the end of the last bookcase and sighed. That corner was her favorite. It was quiet and seldom visited by other students. The lighting, even after dark, was perfect for late night reading and the chairs were the most comfortable.

Hermione gripped the strap of her bag tighter and made a final decision. She approached the opposite side of the table and stopped. It took a moment before he took note of her shadow falling over his parchment and he looked up with slight surprise etched on his features.

"I didn't get the opportunity to say thank you earlier, Malfoy. You didn't have to do that but…thanks."

Draco shrugged as he fidgeted with his quill, his eyes studied her closely. In this lighting, the gold in her brown hair shone giving a honey hue to the curls. She looked nearly angelic and he felt a shiver of discomfort shake through his bones.

"It was nothing, Granger. I just—"

He shook his head and looked down at his parchment. He felt uncomfortable in the same way he had since the war ended. Being wrong wasn't something a Malfoy ever accepted easily but they had been. At least he and his mother acknowledged it. Groveling for sanity and the chance to continue your life outside of magically protected bars was harsh on the ego.

He glanced up again and breathed tightly. "I'm trying to change," he admitted quietly.

Hermione lifted a surprised eyebrow and rolled her bag off her shoulder, allowing it to land in one of the spare chairs roughly.

"I'm not sure I understand."

He shrugged and twirled his quill some more. "I've been wrong my entire life and it's not an easy potion to swallow, Granger. But I'm making an effort." He glanced up to meet her eyes. "Is that enough?"

She was surprised by the unspoken need swirling in his usually hard, grey eyes. Something had been off about him all year but it wasn't really surprising considering all that they'd endured last year. He'd not insulted her once all year. He'd been courteous, though mostly nonverbal, in their few interactions. He'd been fairly harmless. Maybe a bit rough around the edges still which was understandable for someone who was likely fighting an ingrained inclination to attack people, and maybe he wasn't the warmest of people but he hadn't been cruel at all.

"It's a start," she finally answered.

He appeared slightly relieved and some of the tension in his shoulders seemed to dissolve. He nodded and ducked his head again to resume his work.

"Malfoy, this happens to be my favorite spot and since you're already here…"

Draco moved his books out of the way wordlessly, opening up the seat across from him. She offered him a slight smile and accepted the unspoken invitation.

They worked across from each other for hours until nearly midnight. Neither spoke a word after that though she did offer him some parchment when he seemed to have run out and he nudged his inkpot in her direction when hers ran dry.

A silent truce had been agreed upon that evening. When she finally trudged back to her common room only a few stragglers remained doing their homework near the fire. She gave them a polite acknowledgement with a nod and retired for bed.

The same thing happened the next evening after dinner. Only she made it to the table first. Draco approached hesitantly but accepted her offer to sit when she pushed the opposite chair out with her foot. They worked silently again until he came across an arithmancy problem he couldn't get right.

He glanced around them and cleared his throat quietly. When she glanced up he had a rather sheepish expression in his eyes.

"Uh…Granger, have you…problem 14…"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and slowly held her hand out for his book. She glanced down at his scribbled answer and jotted a small note next to it, correcting his solution.

"Try it again but use the other formula."

He accepted his book back with a slight smile. "Thanks."

She returned his smile with one a bit larger than his and nodded.

The same pattern continued throughout the week. And the next, and the next. She often brought extra parchment when she realized his tendency to underestimate his need for it. He discovered her love of licorice wands when he offered her one and began packing them occasionally to share. She corrected his work occasionally though he didn't need as much help as most did when they asked her and he helped her bounce her essay ideas around as she planned her writing.

A week before Christmas they sat at _their_ table. Somehow no one had really caught on that they'd begun a routine of doing their homework together. They didn't socialize outside of the library really so it was the only time they interacted. They weren't exactly friends anyway.

Draco brought the Swiss chocolates his mother had sent as an early present and sat them between them wordlessly, his intent to share clear though when she reached for one.

After her second chocolate, Hermione reached across the table and corrected his answer on his charms work without a word. The blonde wizard stared in mild amusement before he shook his head and continued writing.

"Going home for the holidays, Granger?"

Hermione lifted her head at the sudden question and eyed him carefully under her lashes. They often traded casual chit-chat but nothing terribly deep beyond a simple argument the month before over paper topics for their Potions class.

"No. Are you?"

He shrugged. "Not much to go home to. Just my mother. She's coming to Hogsmeade Christmas Eve for dinner. That's it."

"Hmm," she hummed, not sure exactly how she wanted to respond. She'd heard that they'd moved out of the manor while it was gutted and renovated. Narcissa Malfoy and her son had holed themselves up after their trials in a sizable townhome in a wizarding town outside of Wiltshire until he'd returned to school.

"You could…you could join us."

Hermione's eyes shot up in shock as she eyed him suddenly. His hand was twitching slightly around his quill and his cold eyes were still blank but there was something in the set of his jaw—determination maybe—that surprised her.

"Don't be silly, Malfoy," she finally answered as she turned her eyes back to her books.

"I was being serious," he muttered, his tone low but not threatening.

Hermione looked up again, a bit irritated now. "Look, if this is some ruse to get me to hang around you in public so you can take advantage of my company and have everyone believe you're a saint now because you've accepted the token muggle-born then, _please_ , count me out."

Draco blinked at her refusal and nodded to himself. "Of course," he muttered as he began gathering his work, ignoring her surprised look at his reaction. "Sorry again. I wasn't thinking. Forget I said anything."

She watched as he shoved his schoolwork back into his bag and lifted it onto his shoulder. Confusion flooded her further at the curt nod he gave her before he turned on heel and stomped out of the library.

She sighed though and turned her attention back to her work again. She still didn't really understand him and didn't know if she ever would.

Draco didn't show up for homework the next evening or the next. She was by herself the entire week leading up to the holidays. It hadn't bothered her too much. Mostly she was able to distract herself from thinking about it and wondering just why he'd gotten so bent out of shape.

At the end of the week, she gave Ginny a large smile and a hug when she assured her that she didn't want to join her at the burrow and preferred to stay at school. She knew Harry and Ron would be disappointed not to see her but she just wasn't feeling up to the holiday cheer she'd be subjected to with the Weasley family.

It left her, Neville, and a few other Gryffindors on their own but she found she was actually quite looking forward to the peace and quiet their common room would provide for once.

On Christmas Eve, Draco met his mother as planned in Hogsmeade's nicest restaurant. He'd avoided Hermione like the plague all week and strangely felt an odd twinge of guilt over his actions. Yet the witch had touched a nerve when she'd accused him so proudly.

Sure, he was ashamed of his actions over the last seven years but his invitation had been sincere, not some foolish hope of bettering himself by associating himself with her. Though after he'd gone back to his common room to brood, he did see her point. He'd just thought he'd done more to prove he was changing. Apparently not though.

"School going well, dear," his mother asked as she sipped her tea.

"It's fine," he nodded, his fingernail still digging into the wood of the old table.

Narcissa set her cup down and eyed her son pointedly. His letters revealed very little but she knew him well. He'd not truly asked for any of this. He'd talked a big game of following in his father's footsteps when he was younger but before he truly comprehended what would happen if he did.

Now her son was stuck wearing a dark mark that she knew deep down he'd really not wanted but had no choice but to accept. Her only son would have been dead had he denied it as she knew that he'd really wanted to do.

He was a brooding and spoiled child, and she had been partially responsible, but beyond his tendency to bully others, he wasn't as cruel as he'd have liked to think. There was something in him that his father didn't possess. A kernel of goodness that if nurtured properly could be something great. And Lucius had tried to suffocate that kernel for years.

Narcissa sighed deeply and was about to speak when the door behind him opened and someone entered. She watched with bated breath as the Granger girl glanced about the nearly empty dining room before falling upon their table near the back. She observed the soft look in her brown eyes and the determined tilt of her chin as she made her way towards them.

"Miss Granger," she offered a sincere but small smile as she greeted her.

The last time she'd seen the poor girl had been when she'd been brought in to be tortured on their ballroom floor. Mortification for her silence during the incident flooded her veins but she did her best to hide it with what little pride she had left.

Hermione blinked at the woman, her hands still thrust deep into her long wool coat. "Mrs. Malfoy," she nodded in greeting. Obviously, the girl wasn't any more comfortable with her than she was.

Draco stood abruptly, nearly knocking his chair over in his haste. He nearly flushed when she lifted a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Granger, what are you doing here?"

Her brown eyes turned back to his mother for a moment and then back to him. "I was under the impression that I was invited. Unless you've rescinded the offer."

Narcissa hid the slight upward tilt of her lips behind her teacup as she observed the two. So this was what he was keeping from her.

She'd always had an inkling that he fancied the muggle-born girl, what with the way he went on and on about how she bothered him. She was too smart, too assertive, too chatty…too _everything_. Of course, she'd not encouraged such an idea in the past and merely shrugged it off. Now though…she just wanted him to be happy. She didn't much care what, or who, it took to make it happen.

Happiness couldn't be bought with 'good' blood.

Draco swallowed nervously and reached to help her with her coat as he'd always been taught. He tried his best not to study the well-fitted, long sleeved red dress she had worn as an odd tingle ran the length of his spine.

Hermione appeared slightly caught off guard but allowed him to use his good manners on her and took the seat next to him nervously, wondering why the hell she'd decided to do this.

She'd felt a bit guilty the more she thought of his offer. It wasn't as if he was inviting her to some lavish outing where they'd be seen by tons of people. He'd invited her to a fairly vacant restaurant for dinner. The more she considered it, she'd likely jumped to conclusions.

"We've ordered the Christmas feast," Narcissa informed her warmly. "There's plenty for all of us. Likely too much if I recall their portions correctly."

"Thank you," Hermione offered her a kind smile.

Narcissa watched the two, noting the awkward glances between them and wondering if they understood what possibilities lay before them should they open themselves to the idea. It seemed her son was now at a loss for words so it would obviously be on her to get to know the girl.

"You should be taking your N.E.W.T.S. soon. Have you decided what you might like to do once you graduate," she asked, her question pointed at the girl.

Hermione appeared slightly caught off guard. She chastised herself internally for not imagining she'd be expected to maintain conversation.

"I'd always said I never wanted to work within the Ministry but now I feel that I might. There's a lot that needs to be done still in reform efforts and I'd like to help."

Narcissa nodded fondly and smiled as the server brought the food to their table. She waited until the young witch left them to speak as she doled out servings to everyone's plates.

"Given all I've heard about you, I imagine you'll do quite well there, Miss Granger."

"Just Hermione, please."

The older witch nodded as she finished filling their plates and reached for her fork. "Well then, Hermione, thank you for joining us for dinner."

They enjoyed some light conversation over the meal of roast and many scrumptious side dishes. Draco spoke when spoken to but observed the two witches mostly as they debated charms and potions works they'd each read. Sitting there got easier as the dinner stretched on and his discomfort dissipated.

After a dessert which they each had trouble eating considering how stuffed they were they left the restaurant to part ways. Hermione offered to meet Draco at the gates as she wanted to stop by one of the shops before they closed.

Narcissa turned to her son after they watched the young witch enter the shop across the street.

"Do you like her, Draco?"

He looked at her side-ways, eyebrows lifted questioningly. "Don't be silly, mother. I know what's still expected of me."

Narcissa shook her head, knowing clearly that he was thinking of his betrothal contract with the Greengrass' youngest daughter.

"Draco, that's the past. And if she accepted you, she could very well be your future."

"Mother—"

"Promise me you won't live in the past, Draco. Contracts can be broken but hearts shouldn't."

He sighed but nodded. Whatever got her off his case. Even if he did like Granger that way, which he didn't, there was no way she'd ever accept him. Not when it was clear from all that he'd heard that she'd be dating Weasley seriously once she graduated and they could make a serious effort at a relationship.

He parted ways with his mother and trudged through the quickly collecting snow. Hermione was already at the gates waiting for him, shivering slightly under her coat. He was a bit surprised she actually waited like she'd said she would but then again she was Hermione Granger and had always stuck to her word.

Draco swallowed as he stopped in front of her, his own hands deep in his coat pockets.

"It's bloody cold," she muttered uncomfortably as he fell in step with her.

He nodded as they walked slowly, trying his best not to be distracted with the snowflakes caught in her hair. After a few moments of quiet, he finally spoke up.

"Granger, I—well, thank you for that."

Hermione shrugged and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "You did invite me. It would have been awfully rude to not show up."

A slight smirk lifted one corner of his mouth as he watched their feet tromping through the snow. He quickly realized she must have charmed her shoes somehow as the sensible flats weren't collecting any snow like his boots were.

"Still, I appreciate it. I think my mother did as well."

Hermione grasped his elbow in one gloved hand to stop him, turning him to face her. "Draco, it's obvious that you're trying to change. I apologize for the way I snapped at you in the library last week." She shrugged and dropped her hand after realizing she was still grasping his arm. "Perhaps we could start over." She removed the glove from her right hand and held it out to him. "I'm Hermione Granger. I like books, have a terrible habit of always needing to speak whenever I know the answer to a question, and I'm terribly fond of cats."

She waited, a bit nervous as he eyed her outstretched hand. After a moment, he snorted and removed his own glove before clasping hands with her. His grey eyes met hers and for the first time that semester she saw a lightheartedness that had been missing there.

"Nice to meet you, Hermione Granger. I'm Draco Malfoy. I'm like quidditch, I'm brilliantly sarcastic, and I'd like it very much if we might try to put the past behind us and be friends." He swallowed, "Assuming you'd like to be."

Hermione smiled finally and squeezed his hand gently. "I'd like that."


	7. Protection

**Protection**

Hermione hated being in the dungeons late at night. With the impending war hovering over wizarding Britain like a rain cloud, many of the Slytherins were even more socially obnoxious than usual. Had Professor Slughorn not requested her help guiding his study session for the fifth years prepping for their O.W.L.S., she'd have never ventured down there so late in the evening.

However, it was past ten and far past time that she got back to Gryffindor tower. Harry and Ron were likely sitting in front of the fire delaying starting their own Potions essays, despite that she'd been harping at them to do so for over two weeks. They were likely going to need her help.

She was busy arranging her notes in her bag, not paying near enough attention to where she was going when she bumped into something, or rather, some _one_.

"Oh," she squeaked softly and her brown eyes flew up to assess the situation.

"Might should watch where you're going," Theodore Nott sneered. "Awfully late for a mudblood to be down in the dungeons without her protectors, isn't it?"

Hermione glared up at the boy and rolled her eyes. The slur had long lost a lot of its sting, though she didn't much appreciate it.

"Your lack of social skills has been noted, Nott. Next time I'll make sure not to run into a snake pit."

"Why you little—"

Hermione began to reach for her wand when the Slytherin began lifting his in her direction but he stopped cold suddenly, a frown lining his face. She swallowed as she now felt the presence of someone else and slowly glanced over her shoulder.

Her heart stuttered in its rhythm when she spotted Draco Malfoy standing behind her, far closer than was normal for him. His robes were gone and he had the sleeves of his uniform sweater pushed up to his elbows.

A small, distracted part of her wanted to smirk when she realized his forearm didn't bear the dark mark as Harry had been convinced it did. She'd have to make a mental note to gloat about how wrong he was for judging too quickly.

She finally focused on his expression, expecting his harsh glare to be directed at her but instead found his cold, grey eyes trained on his housemate.

"Go on, Granger," he growled, not so much as sparing a look at her.

Hermione didn't bother to question his reaction and merely gave a sharp nod and hurried up the steps leading out of the dungeon. She chanced a glance behind her once she reached the top, only to find the two boys in a heated discussion, Malfoy towering over his housemate quite irritably.

Harry and Ron were just where she'd anticipated they'd be when she made it to the common room, only they had actually made a bit of progress which surprised her.

"You'll never believe what just happened," she spoke as she took the free armchair adjacent to them and dropped her bag.

"Slughorn ask you to do him the great honor of teaching the class," Ron quipped.

Hermione smirked at him then rolled her eyes. "No, thank you very much. I ran into Theodore Nott while I was leaving the dungeons."

Harry sat up straighter at that, a concerned look overtaking his features. Nott was another he had suspected of taking the mark over the summer.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

She shook her head, loose curls flouncing about her shoulders as she reached for her own books. Her essay was done and had been for over a week but she had other work to get started on.

"No, but I think he would have if Malfoy hadn't shown up." She shook her head at the dark look on Harry's face and held a hand up to stop him before he could speak. "It was strange. He came up behind me and just glared at Nott. He told me to go on and when I looked back once I reached the top of the steps, he was arguing quite heatedly with him." She lifted a single eyebrow, "And he doesn't have the mark, by the way. His sleeves were pushed up."

Harry frowned at that and reached for his quill again. "Doesn't mean he's not involved."

"Kind of odd that he stepped in for Hermione though," Ron muttered finally.

Hermione shrugged and thought about it for a moment. "He actually hasn't been as obnoxious as usual this year. Actually, now that I think about it, he hasn't so much as said two words to me."

Ron shrugged and reached for a Bertie Bott's bean from the pile in the middle of the table. "He's still a git but maybe he's not too keen on what's happening any more than we are."

"I'm not so sure," Harry mumbled to himself.

They dropped the topic and focused on their schoolwork. Hermione was pleased with the progress they made before they all trudged up to their rooms. The experience in the dungeons earlier faded from her mind and schoolwork took the main focus again between listening to the boys discuss quidditch and Harry's latest theories about the Slytherins.

It was a week later before Hermione experienced her next encounter. She was leaving the Great Hall after dinner, intent on making her way to the library for a little research when Pansy Parkinson slammed her shoulder right into her.

"Watch where you're going, mudblood," the brunette glared at her.

Hermione nearly groaned aloud but held it in. "Parkinson, I'm not the one who just slammed into someone. Perhaps _you_ should focus your attention more on where you're going."

"Six years of you, Granger, and it's been six years too many." She stepped closer, getting right in Hermione's face. "I look forward to seeing what will happen to you especially when all of the shit hits the fan."

"Pansy."

Hermione held her breath when she heard his voice over her shoulder. She swallowed as Pansy stepped back again and eyed the person behind her.

Draco Malfoy stepped up finally and moved to stand in front of her.

"I'll only give one warning," she heard him mutter low to the witch.

"Draco, she was in my way."

"I don't give a shit," he snarled. "Enough."

Pansy shut her mouth with an audible snap and moved around him. She glared at Hermione as she did before passing through the double doors.

Hermione watched as Draco began to march off without so much as a word to her. She nearly questioned her sanity when her hand shot out and snagged the sleeve of his robes.

He stopped cold and tilted his head in her direction without turning back. "What, Granger?"

She dropped her grip on his sleeve once she realized what she'd done and was thankful that the corridor was empty.

"Malfoy, what…why are you doing this?"

He finally turned to face her and folded his arms across his chest, his cold eyes boring down into hers. "Doing what, Granger?"

She tipped her head curiously as she observed him. He'd looked a bit rough before the Christmas holidays, tired and out of sorts. He'd returned looking more rested and less ashen. He looked like he was eating better, too, as his robes weren't hanging on him liked they'd been.

"That's the second time you've stepped in for me with one of your housemates." She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Why are you protecting me suddenly?"

His eyes narrowed at her and it felt like an eternity as they stood there with him scrutinizing her. He grabbed her arm after a moment and tugged her down the corridor without a word. He flung the door open to the first empty classroom and grabbed her bag, throwing it aside before slamming the door.

Hermione gasped when he pushed her back into the solid door. His large hands grazed her cheeks roughly before his fingers disappeared into her hair and his mouth came crashing down against hers.

She whimpered at the harsh feel of the wood digging into her shoulders. She was shocked for a moment at what had just happened. Despite the urgency and the force behind the kiss, his lips were soft over hers, pushing and pulling and trying to elicit a response.

Her brain shut off after a moment and she wasn't thinking about who was kissing her but more about how good it felt.

Ron had been obnoxious with Lavender for the better part of the year and she'd finally given up on him over the holidays, working on being content to be his friend.

However, despite not fully working through who was kissing her, she was focused on how much she wanted to be kissed.

Draco growled deep in his chest when he felt her finally respond. It was hesitant at first, as if she were unsure if she should be responding. The little moan she released when he sucked her lower lip nearly unhinged him. He ran his tongue teasingly across the seam of her lips and ran the tip along the sensitive inside of the flesh. He pushed the tip along her teeth before she finally opened her mouth to him.

He plundered the inside of her mouth, sweeping his tongue across hers and tasting every nook and cranny she allowed him to touch—the blunt edge of her teeth, the ridges along the roof of her mouth, and the tender insides of her cheeks.

He lost track of time before he felt her hands move from where they'd been clutching his robes and to his chest where she pushed gently to break free.

Hermione drew quick breaths over her parted lips, still wet from his kiss. It took her a moment before she gained her bearings enough to look up at him. She found him watching her intently, his grey eyes tracking her every move.

She felt his hands at her hips, squeezing slightly, possessively, and it confused her even more.

"Malfoy, what are you on about," she finally managed after a few moments of catching her breath.

Draco snaked one of his hands along her waist and pressed his fingertips against her spine until her hips were flush against his. He noted the blush across her cheeks darken further and the faint freckles across her nose nearly disappear under the rush of blood.

"You know as well as I do what's coming, Granger. I want you and if I'm to have you then I need you to survive. Protecting you is necessary."

"Ex-excuse me," she sputtered over an incredulous laugh.

She knew he was arrogant but just like that he thought he could say that he wanted her and she'd first believe him, and then second, even reciprocate. He must have been given everything he'd ever wanted growing up to have that sort of attitude.

Draco frowned at her and pressed the tips of his fingers harder into her spine through her robes. "I've had my eyes on you for years, Granger. It wasn't until this year and my mother and I leaving the Manor over the holidays that I finally gained some sense to do anything about it."

The slight upward quirk of her lips slowly fell as she eyed him. "You and your mother…"

"You saw it yourself. I didn't take the mark." He paused as though he was considering something, "Actually it wasn't offered to me. My mother and I left under pretenses which I'm not at liberty to discuss but the end result is the same. I'm not a bloody Death Eater."

"But your father is," she surmised quietly. He nodded as denying it would have been stupid. "Then you don't agree with what they're doing? The things they believe in?"

He lifted his shoulders in an uncertain shrug. "No, and you're likely the reason why. I realized when my father had no good explanation as to why you bested me in every single subject when you were supposed to be stupid and unskilled that the man was off his rocker."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, nearly forgetting the pressing of his fingers along her spine and the way they were creeping northward. "Yet you only just decided this? Just last year you were still hurling insults my way."

"I didn't say _when_ I was made to confront my bigotry, Granger just that I _had_. You can want someone without _wanting_ to want them."

She nodded her understanding and finally became cognizant that the blonde still had her pressed up against the door with his arms holding her to him like steel bands. She began to wriggle in his grasp which took a moment before he finally released her.

"While I very much appreciate the honesty and the fact that you've opened your mind, have you once stopped to consider whether _I'd_ want _you_?"

He looked confused for a moment before his eyes narrowed on her again.

"I may have changed my views but that doesn't make me any less _me_. I always get what I want, Granger."

Hermione scoffed at that and rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her lips still felt swollen from his kiss and the reminder forced her to think about how it'd felt to be kissed by him. She'd not been kissed since Viktor Krum had cornered her in the library fourth year for an innocent snog. There'd been no spark then, despite that it had been enjoyable.

When Draco had kissed her, while it'd been too rough for her liking, she couldn't deny the spark. His intensity was contagious and more than anything made her feel wanted.

It felt as if he'd marked her. Staked a claim on her, as barbaric as that sounded.

She observed his proud stance as he stood there staring down at her, waiting. She'd always been able to grudgingly admit that he was attractive. More so in the last year or two as he filled out and his features seemed less harsh and pointed. His stature was broad but not like the hulking shape of Ron or Viktor. There was something a bit more refined about him.

However, his arrogance turned her off immensely.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy, but your arrogance does nothing for me," she shrugged. His lip curled into a snarl. "You'd have to change some for me to be interested."

She reached to grab her bag and lifted it onto her shoulder again. She made her way to the door and paused when her hand rested on the knob. She glanced over her shoulder to find him still watching her with the same brooding expression. She imagined he'd been denied very few things in life.

She licked her lips, the taste of him still lingering there and met his eyes again.

"For the record, I don't like being handled roughly."

A smirk slowly curled one corner of his mouth and he lifted his brow quickly. "I can learn to be gentle then."

She gave a sharp nod. "I have to lead the study session in the dungeons again tonight for Slughorn. Should be done by ten. I assume I won't have to worry about anymore run-ins."

Draco's smirk grew and he nodded. "Perhaps you'll offer me another kiss in exchange for my protection?"

Hermione shrugged noncommittally. "We'll see."


	8. Yule Ball: Part One

**Yule Ball: Part One**

He watched the git parade his obnoxious girlfriend in front of her for months. He watched the slight twitch at the corner of her eyes as she held back the frustrated tears. He was sick of watching her stubborn anger over the idiot who really didn't deserve her attention anyway.

The Yule Ball was only two weeks away and their sixth year had been miserable. With his own family participating in less than respectful activities behind the Ministry's back, he'd somehow made it out of the Manor on September 1st before they could force the mark on him. He'd even refused to return home for the holidays in order to avoid the possibilities awaiting him.

After watching the two obnoxious Gryffindors parade themselves in front of her throughout dinner, he decided he'd have enough. He waited outside the Great Hall after he finished his own dinner and wasn't disappointed when Hermione Granger exited alone, her arms laden with the usual load of books.

"Granger," he called quietly.

Hermione stopped cold, her back to him. She stiffened at the sound of his voice and stood still for moment. For an instant, he thought she was going to ignore him and keep going but the witch slowly turned to face him, skepticism already reflected in her features.

"Yes, Malfoy?" Her tone was cautious as though she was trying not to fuel his usual fire for taunts.

Draco pushed off the wall he was leaning against and came to stand closer in front of her. He'd never really taken notice of her small stature before as the witch was so full of fire as she parried his frustrating remarks that she appeared larger than life. But she was nearly a head shorter than him and was obviously a bit unnerved to have him so close as her brown eyes tilted up to focus on him.

"I have a question." He smirked when she merely lifted a questioning eyebrow. "When are you going to give up your nauseating pining for Weasley?"

Hermione sputtered out an unconvincing laugh and shook her head, loose curls falling from the messy up-do she'd managed after class. "You must be sorely mistaken, Malfoy. I'm _pining_ after no one."

Draco rolled his eyes dramatically at that and stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets. "Oh, don't give me that drivel, Granger. You might be able to fool those two dunderheads you call friends but you know I'm not that thick." He shrugged as his grey eyes connected with hers again. "What gives? Surely you realize he's beneath you."

Hermione fought the urge for her jaw to drop in shock at that. Did he just…?

"Malfoy, do be careful or I might begin to think you just complimented me."

The blonde tilted his head curiously as his grey eyes slid over her slight form from head to toe. The buckteeth had long been gone, something he had apparently been partly responsible for when his ill-timed hex enlarged her teeth to the point that the school nurse had to the fix them. But outside of that, she had truly grown up.

But what did he expect? Was the girl supposed to be a frizzy-haired know-it-all forever? Well, she was still a know-it-all and he daily fought the urge to throw things at her in class when her hand shot up into the air with such force he feared one day she'd launch herself skyward.

But frankly, she wasn't hard on the eyes. The hair was still a bit crazy but she'd learned to tame it into curls which she regularly kept pulled back from her face in some fashion. Her complexion was far better than Pansy or Daphne's but that wasn't very hard to accomplish. Those girls had no idea about skin care. They were too busy caking on layers of makeup.

No, Granger had changed and even he couldn't deny that she was attractive. More so than that bloody stupid bint that Weasley was chasing about the castle these days.

Merlin help him, his father would shit himself if he knew his only son was conceding that a muggle-born witch was attractive in any manner.

Mentally he shrugged. His father had truly lost any lingering respect that he had for him with the way he'd begun treating his mother after she expressed distaste for getting involved in another uprising with the Death Eaters. Her views weren't quite as extreme as his fathers were and merely wished to stay neutral.

Draco returned from his mental reverie after a few seconds to find the witch watching him cautiously and a slow smirk drew up his lips.

"Perhaps I was."

Hermione scoffed at that. "Sure you were. Is there an actual reason you stopped me or was it just to enjoy wasting my time? I have an essay to work on you know. It's only half written and due in two weeks. Surely you—"

He sighed dramatically and held up a hand to cut her off. "Save the boring drivel, Granger. I stopped you because I have a proposition for you. Something that could be equally beneficial to us both."

She huffed and shook her head. "But of course. You couldn't ever do something kind without expecting to benefit from it as well."

"Might as well," he grinned maliciously.

She rolled her eyes and readjusted the hold on the books which were threatening to slip from her arms. She was quite startled when the blonde reached out and relieved her of the weighty stack, not so much as grimacing when his hand touched hers in the process.

"You were headed to the library, I imagine. Why don't we discuss it there," he suggested.

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she looked him over. She had the slight urge to check him to make sure he wasn't under some sort of curse. However, despite the odd interaction they were having, he seemed like himself.

Knowing she'd have to keep her eyes on him just in case, she merely gave a sharp nod and turned in the direction of the stairs to head toward her favorite sanctuary.

Truly, he'd been planning on asking Pansy and then ignoring her the entire evening as he usually did at such events. But once this kernel of an idea planted itself in his mind, he'd not been able to ignore it. He got to annoy the shit out of her friends and see what having her on his arm for the night would be like.

He'd likely never admit it but he'd been morbidly curious about her since day one. He'd hated her at one time, or at least thought he did. Definitely resented her for getting the high marks that kept him from coming in at the very top of their class and earning him his father's cold rebukes.

However, the fascination was shifting. He wasn't sure that he liked her per se but she was intriguing. She was a challenge unlike the girls in his house. And she was very much out of the ordinary when compared with the pureblood girls he'd been steered towards. Something about exploring the muggle-born interested him—like an exotic, forbidden fruit. He shouldn't want to taste her but he couldn't help himself. The allure of what he wasn't supposed to have—to want—was far too tempting.

Perhaps Draco was feeling rebellious or purely going on his instincts but asking Hermione Granger to accompany him to the Yule ball seemed genius. It might also get Pansy and Daphne off his back. The interest wasn't mutual and the daft witches didn't seem to be able to take a hint. Perhaps they'd be so disgusted with him after this that they'd never speak to him again.

A man could only hope.

The night of the ball, the rest of the school had already entered the Great Hall and he could hear the music pulsing beyond the doors as he waited at the base of the staircase. He glanced once more at his pocket watch before replacing it in his pocket. She'd not wanted to enter with everyone else, too nervous about all of the stares they'd no doubt receive.

Draco was rather certain she hadn't considered that making a late entrance could be just as attention grabbing—or maybe she'd just ignored the fact. Either way, they were going to shock most of the school.

Hermione stood just around the last bend of the stairs, out of his view and trying to catch her breath. What in Merlin's name made her agree to this, she wasn't quite sure. Ron had been rather nasty in rubbing his relationship with Lavender in her face and while she was well and truly convinced that she no longer cared for him _that_ way, she was sick of watching the two of them all over each other. Particularly Lavender who seemed quite satisfied in having something that Hermione couldn't. The girl had always been rather catty.

Steeling herself to endure the evening as she'd promised, Hermione took a deep breath and rounded the bend of the stairs. She watched her feet covered in the satin red heels as she carefully descended each step.

Draco turned at the sound of her shoes clicking along the stone and had to tighten his jaw to keep his mouth from dropping open. She'd worn exactly the color he requested that she didn't and yet he couldn't find it in him to be unhappy with the result. The red material of the dress looked as if it had been painted on her gentle curves and he'd have been convinced it was if not for the edge of it swishing against the toes of her shoes. The pale skin of her shoulders and upper back was exposed and he had the urge to caress her there to see if she was as smooth as she looked.

Merlin help him but Granger had a body to go with the improved looks.

Draco steeled his expression though, jaw tight and teeth grinding to hold it in as she met him at the last step. She stopped there and finally met his eyes, their heights a bit more level this way.

They each had their goals tonight. He to annoy her friends and get the two Slytherin girls off his back and her to show Ron Weasley just what he was missing.

He lifted a pale eyebrow and turned to hold his arm out to her. "You clean up well, Granger."

Hermione relaxed at the familiar tone of his quip and rolled her eyes. She allowed him to hook her arm through his and braced herself with the strength of his arrogance to put one foot in front of the other and enter the ball.

Draco stalled just outside of the doors and glanced down at her. "Not going to back out on me, are you?"

Hermione stared straight ahead and pulled a deep breath through her nose. "Let's get on with it, Malfoy."

Typical Gryffindor. A smirk tilted his lips and with a sharp nod he pushed through the doors.


	9. Yule Ball: Part Two

**Wow, you guys seem to have liked this one! Well, I only meant for it to be two parts but when I had trouble finding an ending place, I decided it would be three parts. So here's part two. Please read and review. :)**

* * *

 **Yule Ball: Part Two**

Not everyone took notice of them immediately. Hermione clung to Draco's arm, nails digging in unconsciously as he weaved them through the bodies dancing and standing about conversing without the weight of schoolwork on their shoulders. As they passed, she noticed the wide eyes and the quick whispers as a growing buzz flooded the Great Hall.

Draco noticed but cared little as he led the witch on his arm deeper into the room. Deciding it might be best to have a drink of punch before diving into the fray of dancing, he led her to the refreshments and dropped her arm to pour a glass.

"Still hanging in there, Granger?"

Hermione took the cup as he pressed it into her hand and sipped it hurriedly. "Yes," she croaked. Brave, she might be, but she didn't much care for being the center of attention and it was becoming abundantly clear that they now were.

What in Merlin's name had she been thinking in agreeing to this?!

Ron had been certain that she was lying when she said she had a date to the ball because she wouldn't tell him who and the reminder of that fueled her persistence to see this through.

Draco watched as she drained the small cup and then pressed a hand into the small of her back to lead her to the dance floor.

"Come on then. Time to put on a show." He grinned arrogantly down at her. "They're playing a slow song and I bet Weasley will just love me putting my hands on you."

The thought of him touching her so intimately, despite how innocent, frayed her nerves further. Hermione's heart throbbed nervously in her chest, trying desperately not to hear the whispers buzzing around her as he found an empty spot on the floor. His hands were warm as one rested on her waist and the other grasped her hand, tugging her close gently. She noted how much larger he was than her. His touch wasn't light as she'd have expected but oddly possessive. But of her? Just didn't make sense.

"Relax, Granger," he leaned down and muttered in her ear.

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment. A few deep breaths stilled the erratic beating of her heart and she relaxed in the blonde's hands as he swayed them gently.

"This isn't so bad," she spoke quietly so only he could hear.

His throaty chuckle caused a shiver to run down her spine and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. Oddly, she thought she might.

"Glad you're not totally repulsed."

She shrugged as he continued to sway them, finally taking more notice of their classmates all around them who were pointing and some openly staring. Her attention was then drawn to the girls lingering near the refreshment tables.

"I believe your part of this bargain is already accomplished. Parkinson looks ready to hex my head off."

Draco turned his attention from the witch in front of him. He'd been watching her intently ever since she grasped his hand tightly to dance. She was captivating and he was feeling even more rebellious, wondering what her lips would taste like. Would she taste differently than the pureblood witches he'd snogged?

However, he turned his attention to follow her gaze and smirked brilliantly when he found Pansy fuming as she watched them. He'd heard she begged Nott to take her when he never asked and knew the poor git was in for a horrible evening.

"She's obviously jealous."

Hermione snorted and connected with his gaze when he turned his attention back to her at the inelegant sound.

"She's bleeding livid. I'll be lucky to make it out of here alive tonight."

Draco's eyes narrowed and he shook his head dismissively. "No one will touch you, Granger. You have my word."

His assurance of her safety both reassured her and surprised her all at once. That was awfully selfless of him. She didn't get much time to focus on that though as they were quickly interrupted.

"Oi! Malfoy, what are you playing at," Ron shouted over the music.

The redhead had approached them unknowingly from behind and ripped Hermione out of the wizard's grasp, tucking her quickly behind him as he advanced on their classmate.

Draco, to his credit, remained calm with that all too familiar smirk tilting his lips. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"What's it look like, Weaslebee? I was dancing with my date to the ball."

Hermione huffed and moved around Ron to stand between the two boys. More attention was on them than before and she could see Lavender, Pansy, and Daphne lurking on the edges of the circle forming around them now.

"Ron," she hissed low, "really you're making a scene."

"Me," he pointed a finger at his chest incredulously. He turned that finger back on her and huffed out a laugh. "What about you two? Did you really agree to go to the ball with this git, Hermione? I know no one else asked you but seriously that's low, even for you."

Her brown eyes sparked at the veiled insult and Draco was doing all he could not to burst into laughter at the idiot in front of them. This was far more enjoyable than he'd originally imagined.

"Ronald Weasley, do you honestly believe that who I agree to go with is even any of your business? Why are you even bothering to interfere? You've not been concerned with my feelings on anything all year. Why start now?"

"Because he's jealous," Draco supplied from behind, amusement clear on his face.

"Stay out of this, Malfoy," Ron growled.

Draco finally stepped up to her side and dropped his arms from his chest. His smirk melted into a sneer. "Really Weasley, do you get off on trying to embarrass the woman? You've been enjoying torturing her for the better part of the year, rubbing her nose with your obnoxious little girlfriend."

Hermione bit her lip nervously as she glanced between them now. Ron was turning red from the tips of his ears clear to his neck. From the corner of her eyes she saw Harry and Ginny push through the crowd to their side and stop to observe what was happening.

"What would you care about Hermione's feelings, Malfoy," he countered. "You've tortured her since our first day when you learned she was a muggle-born."

"Ron," Harry called gently. He shook his head to deter their friend from causing any more of a scene. "Cut it out, mate."

Ron gestured at the oddly matched couple in front of him. His eyes bulged a little when he took the chance to eye Hermione over finally, taking in the dress she'd chosen as a fresh blush washed over his cheeks.

"Harry, you aren't concerned at all to see Hermione with him?"

Harry met Hermione's eyes then. "Did you agree to go with him?" He eyed Draco for a moment. "Without being blackmailed or cursed?"

She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Of course, Harry. I'm not an idiot."

He nodded and turned his attention back to Ron. "She's a big girl, mate. I'm sure she'll fill us in later but right now you're making a right ass of yourself."

"Ron," Lavender called anxiously. The witch looked rather miffed to have her boyfriend so infuriated over Hermione's situation and had a rather nasty expression plastered on her face.

Ron shot one last glare at Draco. "I don't care what's happened this year, you lay one disrespectful hand on her and I'll hex you into next year, ferret."

Draco rolled his eyes at the old insult and made a shooing motion with his hands. He glanced down at the witch at his side and felt a tad guilty for having enjoyed the interaction as much as he had. She looked rather distressed again as she watched her friend gather his girlfriend and move back into the crowd.

The crowd gathered around them began to dissipate, losing interest now that the confrontation was over. Though there were still plenty of curious eyes watching them as there'd been no explanation from Draco as to why he'd asked the witch he'd vowed to hate so profusely to the ball.

Just as he was getting ready to open his mouth to say something uncharacteristically selfless to soothe her nerves, Pansy moved past the retreating bodies to stand in front of them. The witch had her arms crossed angrily and she was glaring at Hermione as though she were a speck of dirt on her dress.

"So _she's_ who you asked instead of me?"

Draco made a show of yawning as though he were bored. "You have a date, Pansy. What does it matter?"

The witch huffed, "I hadn't realized you'd sunk so low, Draco. Mingling with mudbloods now."

For some reason, the familiar slur that he'd used so often had begun to grate on his sensibilities this year. It felt low and beneath him to use it and he wasn't sure exactly when that had happened but he knew he'd lost his taste for it.

Regardless of whatever his interest in Granger was, she'd agreed to accompany him and he wasn't about to stand for having someone insult her so nastily.

He stepped closer and folded his arms in a menacing stance. "Watch your mouth, Pansy," he growled.

"Since when do you care if that word is used," she countered.

"Doesn't really matter. Granger is my date for the evening. Be respectful."

She scoffed at that and lifted a challenging eyebrow. "Oh please, I'd put fifty galleons that you're just using her. For what, I don't know but I bet you don't have any real interest."

Draco stepped a bit closer. "Maybe I am and maybe I'm not. Either way it's none of your bloody business, Pansy."

Her face twisted into an ugly sneer and she stomped off through the throng on dancers, shoving and insulting people along the way.

He rolled his eyes and turned back to Hermione only to find the witch walking off in the opposite direction to the exit. He huffed irritably and began stalking off after the witch. He had to shove a few Ravenclaws out of the way and narrowly avoided having punch spilled on his dress robes but he caught the witch at the base of the stairs.

Draco wrapped a large hand around her upper arm and whirled her around to face him a little more forcefully than he'd intended. She looked up at him with familiar annoyance and jerked her arm from his grasp.

"What, Malfoy?"

He held both hands up at his sides in an annoyed gesture. "Granger, what the bloody hell are you doing?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and he had to fight the urge to glance at the tasteful glimpse of cleavage there he'd not really noticed before now. She wasn't extremely well-endowed but the view was nice regardless.

"We accomplished what we set out to do." She gave him a questioning look. "Were you actually wanting to stay through the whole ball?"

Draco lifted an arrogant brow and crossed his arms to match her stance. "Perhaps, I did."

"Malfoy, you don't have to keep with the pretending. We made a bargain and we both held up our ends. You've been quite pleasant really so thank you. You're free to go now."

He shook his head as he observed her and stepped closer, crowding her space. She dropped her arms suddenly at the bold move and craned her neck back to meet his eyes now.

He had no idea what was possessing his actions. No idea what he wanted or felt but he was moving on instinct—a gut feeling to act.

"And what if I don't want to?"

Hermione swallowed at his question. She hadn't been expecting that. She partly figured the confrontations would happen early on in the evening. Once Ron or Pansy saw them together there was no avoiding the annoyance it would cause. Ron was most certainly annoyed and Pansy was unlikely to bother Draco for some time.

Now that it was all said and done, why had he chased after her?

His grey gaze never left hers. The intensity behind them felt different than usual. No taunt or slurs felt like they'd be sliding off his tongue. But she couldn't place the emotion behind it.

"I—well," her eyes darted nervously to the side. Why was he messing with her?

Even if she was attracted to Draco Malfoy, which she wasn't, it would never be mutual. He was perfectly comfortable making such a bargain with her to get what he wanted, even if it just so happened to benefit her as well, but he wasn't interested. He was still arrogant, self-centered, and outright mean. There was absolutely nothing he had that she wanted.

Draco's lip curled at the way she was biting her lip and with a growl he leaned down to take over from her. She gasped against his mouth and he slid his hands around her waist in tight grip, dragging the witch against his chest until there was hardly any space left between them.

He nibbled her lower lip as she'd been doing before soothing the flesh with a gentle swipe of his tongue. It wasn't enough to satisfy his curiosity though. When her small hands rested on his shoulders hesitantly, he hummed out a throaty growl and pushed his tongue past the barrier of her lips to taste her.

And she did taste differently from the pureblood witches he'd snogged. Her movements were hesitant but satisfying as she allowed him to explore her. She tasted fresh and clean and as she slowly became more relaxed with his touch she was returning his kisses more confidently.

Hermione was having trouble maintaining a hold on what was happening. Draco Malfoy was kissing her but not just kissing her, he was outright snogging her at the base of the stairs for anyone to see! His warm hands dwarfed the small of her back before one began its journey northward and moved to cradle the back of her head. He was gentle and yet strong all at once and the feel of his tongue and lips teasing hers sent her normally alert head spinning.

"Sweet Merlin!" someone shrieked from behind them.

Draco finally tore his mouth from hers and shot a glare at the intruder over his shoulder. The fifth year Gryffindor's eyes widened when he realized he'd been noticed and he ducked back inside the Great Hall with a squeak.

Hermione watched as the blonde finally turned his attention back to her and was still breathing heavily. His hands hadn't moved from where he held her and his grey eyes had gone darker.

She swallowed and averted her gaze. Likely it had been some odd moment of curiosity on his part, a loss of control.

However, he surprised her when he growled and began to lean down again. She pushed at his shoulders though and gained some space again.

"What are you doing," she whispered.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. His fingertips at the back of her head were moving gently in a soothing massage as he scrunched them and spread them again and again.

"Not sure, Granger," he answered honestly. "Mind if I just go with it for a moment longer?"

Draco didn't wait for her response and merely dove in again, taking her mouth in a softer kiss than before as he drew her close again. He felt the stiffness in her body slowly melt and the second her fingers tentatively grazed his jaw, he knew.


	10. Yule Ball: Part Three

**And here's the conclusion. I worked through this a few times until I had it the way that I liked. Keep in mind, as with the other two parts, that this is not canon compliant. Please read and review. :)**

* * *

 **Yule Ball: Part Three**

Hermione awoke the next morning a little later than usual for a Sunday but still before most of her housemates. She found Harry sitting in front of the fire, already dressed and it appeared that he'd been waiting for her.

"Breakfast," he asked, a small smile in place as he stood to greet her.

She bit her lower lip, much as Draco had nibbled it the night before and nodded without a word. She got the distinct feeling that he'd be trying to pull the details of last night from her and she wasn't sure yet what she was willing to admit.

They walked in companionable silence down to the Great Hall which had already been transformed back for its normal purpose of feeding the students of Hogwarts. They slid into the benches on opposite sides, Hermione having a clear view of the mostly, equally empty Slytherin table.

"So," Harry started after he'd filled his plate with bacon and eggs, "Care to comment on last night?"

"Must I," she mumbled around a bite of bacon.

"You have to talk sometime," he teased. "Surely, you don't expect me to not ask. Hermione, you went to the Yule Ball with Draco Malfoy of all people. You know I don't like the git but there's got to be a story there."

With a resigned sigh, Hermione began to recount the events which led up to last night and even confided in him what had happened after they left the ball. By the time she was finished, Harry was wide-eyed and slightly shocked.

"So…you and Malfoy are…" he shrugged in question.

"None of your bloody business, Potter!"

Harry's head whipped around to find Draco Malfoy standing behind him, arms crossed in his usual arrogant stance. He lifted his brows suggestively when he caught Hermione's attention and stalked off for his own table.

Harry turned back to his friend, a thumb pointed over his shoulder. "What the hell?"

A blush had spread over Hermione's cheeks and nose and she shrugged, reaching for her fork again. She could still feel Draco's eyes on her and when she chanced a look across the Great Hall, the wizard smirked in her direction.

"I'm not totally sure honestly. He said he's going to keep pursuing me."

He shook his head, "Hermione, I hope I'm not saying this wrong but, Malfoy said he's going to pursue _you_?"

She nodded and brushed away a few strands of curls that had fallen from her messy up-do. "Said he has no idea why but he's interested in me." She snorted and reached for her pumpkin juice. "I suppose I should have been offended but that's about as close to a compliment as you get with Draco Malfoy I think."

Hermione tried to ignore the heated looks the blonde kept shooting her direction even as the Great Hall filled with more students. There was a definite buzz around the school and she knew that the Gryffindor who had caught them snogging had spread the word. Nothing stayed a secret for long at Hogwarts.

Ron and Lavender took up seats a few spots down from her and Harry. She nearly laughed at the shocked look the redhead kept shooting in her direction.

When Ginny slid into the empty space between her and Ron, she knew she was in trouble.

"Rumor is that you snogged Malfoy," she half-whispered, half shouted in typical Ginny fashion.

"Ginny," Hermione hissed, shooting a desperate look at Harry. She found no help there as he merely grinned in amusement and continued eating his breakfast.

"What," she countered.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shoved a piece of toast at her friend. "Eat and shut up, won't you?" She glanced down at her plate again. "And _he_ snogged _me_ , thank you very much."

"Bloody hell," her friend muttered. She glanced at her brother to find him listening discreetly and a slow grin spread across her face. "So…is he a good kisser?"

"Oh Merlin," Hermione groaned. When she glanced across the hall again, she found Draco watching her intently. A slow smirk tilted his lips and he lifted his brows suggestively at her. She averted her gaze as a fresh blush spread across her cheeks again. "It was fine," she muttered.

"Bullshit," Harry finally spoke up.

She lifted her brown gaze to him in shock. "Harry!"

He shrugged and lifted a piece of bacon to his mouth. "You wouldn't be blushing like that if the git didn't get your dander up, in a good way this time it seems."

"Well, I don't like it," Ron finally chimed in.

Ginny glared at her brother, "Well, _I_ heard that Malfoy has been avoiding going home because he opposes the Death Eater uprising. Perhaps his views have changed. I think snogging Hermione in the middle of the castle just about proves that."

Hermione whimpered and thrust her hands into her hair and hung her head over her plate, completely exasperated with the topic. No one had cared one whit about her romantic life, or lack thereof, all year so why was now any different?

A quick glance across the Great hall again answered that.

"It'd be the first decent thing the prat has ever done," Ron grumped and focused on his plate again.

"What," Ginny grinned teasingly. "Opposing the uprising or snogging Hermione?"

"And on that note, I think I've had enough to eat," Hermione announced suddenly. She stood, glancing between all of her friends and plucked an apple from the table. "I'll be—"

"In the library," the all finished for her in unison.

She huffed and stalked off for the double doors. She'd had enough of their ribbing and wanted nothing more than to get lost in her books. There was no use in discussing Draco Malfoy any further because she honestly had no idea what was going on with the boy. She was just as confused as they were, if not more so.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the footfalls creeping up behind her, much heavier than her own. She shrieked when she felt an arm wrap around her middle and drag her into a secluded alcove behind one of the random statues.

Draco spun her around smoothly and pushed her back up against the rough stone. He pressed both hands against the stone on either side of her head as he glanced down into her eyes.

"Been chatting with your friends about us, Granger," he murmured softly, alternating his focus between eyeing her mouth and her eyes.

"N-no," she stuttered, breathing harder now.

"Liar."

A low growl rumbled in his throat and he craned his neck to press a languid kiss to her lips. He felt the witch tremble at the feel of him again, still new and uncertain, and continued to soothe her into relaxing against him.

Hermione unconsciously dropped the apple she'd been clutching and gripped the front of his crisp, grey button up in both hands. She returned his kisses for a few moments before pulling back for some air.

She ran the tip of her tongue along her bottom lip slowly, savoring the taste of him before she glanced up to meet his eyes. They still appeared cold and hard as usual but with some sort of new awareness lit within. It was almost as if he was dropping his guard, slowly but surely for her.

"You're making a bit of a habit of kissing me, Malfoy. What would your family say? Last I checked, I wasn't exactly deemed acceptable company given my blood status."

His eyes narrowed as he gazed down at her. "We're nearing adulthood. I've begun making a few important decisions for myself." He blew out a hard breath and relaxed his stance some. "Just as I said last night, I'm interested, Granger. The question is whether you're going to give me a real opportunity."

She released her grip on his shirt and folded her arms over her chest in an effort to support herself. "How do I know you're even serious and not just messing with me? You spent years swearing you hated me. Why should I believe this isn't some scheme to embarrass me—or worse?"

Draco drew a deep breath through his nose and pushed away from her finally and mirrored her stance. "Fine. You have a point. I'll just have to prove it."

Hermione watched as he turned abruptly on heel. "Why the sudden change," she finally asked.

He shrugged as he turned back to her one final time. "The rumors are true. I've been avoiding going home to avoid my father and his plans. I can't say I feel strongly about some issues like you do but I certainly am not interested in joining them. I've seen some shit, Granger. Stuff that would make your stomach turn." He pursed his lips thoughtfully as he eyed her. "And I've always been curious about you. Maybe maliciously in the past but…well, what do you want me to say? I'm selfish and I pursue whatever I want."

Hermione didn't exactly expect some grandiose profession of his feelings and knew that was about as good as it got with him. But was it enough? What about her interests and feelings?

When he stepped forward again and leaned down to press another soft kiss to her lips, she knew resisting him pursuing her was futile. She wasn't exactly enthralled by gooey professions of love and the sort that she witnessed between Ron and Lavender. So maybe this was more of her style.

Perhaps she'd also always been somewhat curious about him. However, he surely had his work cut out for him to prove he was serious.

And so for the next several weeks after the Yule Ball, Draco continued to shock and bewilder their classmates. He sneered and growled whenever there wasn't a seat available next to her in their classes, sometimes having no other option but to take the seat behind her. He didn't bother to address questions from anyone, including his own housemates about his interest in her besides to grumble that it was none of their bloody business.

Her two annoying best friends didn't make it any easier for him either. The weasel took great pleasure in taunting him by stealing open seats next to her and flaunting the ease with which they could interact with her. Potter was ever hesitant but less joyful with his protection of his best friend. His green eyes followed Draco like a seeker followed a snitch.

And the bloody witch acted oblivious to his troubles in getting near her. She didn't seem upset whenever he was blocked from taking up a seat next to her or openly show much emotion, besides her usual blushing, whenever he left small trinkets at her seat in the Great Hall.

Draco was thankful though that the two dunderheads seemed allergic to the library. He found her there alone often and she allowed him to join her at her table. Occasionally, he even caught her within the bookshelves for a quick snog to soothe his ache.

The end of the year brought an ill-timed invasion of death eaters into the castle. Just how they got in, he didn't know but as students scrambled for safety he had one focus and that was securing Hermione.

Being the annoyingly brave Gryffindor that she was, she refused to run and hide when they advanced on their headmaster and teachers. He pulled the bloody witch out of the way in time to miss a curse from his aunt and stood firmly in front of her.

"Move from behind me, Granger, and I'll tell both of your bloody friends how much you like having that spot under your ear sucked. They'll never stop ragging on you."

Even amongst the chaos, she turned red and gulped. He was satisfied when he felt her clutch the back of his robes.

Draco would be damned if the witch wouldn't live to be his date to the next Yule Ball.

But he wouldn't get that chance because all hell broke loose that summer. She didn't return to Hogwarts on the train September 1st. She hadn't registered with the Ministry as had been required of all Muggle-borns. Even McGonagall had no clue where the girl was which was rather troubling as he was feeding her information on the meetings happening at his home.

It made him sick to his stomach and irritable until he finally received a letter from a rather dodgy looking bird near Christmas.

 _Safe. Miss you._

He'd never been so relieved to see her neat handwriting. He vowed that when the whole mess was over that he'd dance with that witch again and he wouldn't need a damn ball as an excuse to do it.

~o~O~o~

 _The Malfoy's Annual Yule Ball_

 _Six Years Later_

"Draco, stop scowling," Narcissa Malfoy chided her only son.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a snarl as he eyed his mother for a moment before returning his attention to the dancefloor. Leave it to his mother to hold a Yule Ball as an excuse to raise money for her latest charity.

"You obsess over her like this and you'll push her away again."

Draco folded his arms stubbornly over his chest and turned his attention away from the dancefloor. "She married me, didn't she? I believe she and I are a bit beyond our childish squabbling."

His mother rolled her eyes and lifted a glass of champagne from a floating tray as it passed by them.

"Dear, she's also not above hexing you in your sleep if you cross her. She might have the heart of a lion but she has the fire of a dragon."

He rolled his own eyes at her comparison and sighed. "Fine. I don't much enjoy sharing her. I haven't ever since the first Yule Ball our sixth year."

Narcissa watched as Harry Potter twirled her daughter-in-law around the floor, laughter evident on the best friends' faces. It was events like this that reminded her that Lucius would have had a coronary if he saw this. She sometimes had trouble feeling remorse that he was dead but didn't focus on it for long.

"Finally decided to return my wife to me, Potter," Draco drawled as he and Hermione approached, looking quite breathless from their little twirl about the dancefloor.

"Oh shove off, Malfoy," Harry grinned.

The blonde ignored him though and merely pulled his wife close, framing her face with both hands, and leaning down for a sensual kiss. Harry rolled his eyes at the annoying public display but he was used to it. Draco had rarely left her side after they'd been reunited during the Battle of Hogwarts. His overbearing attention had often annoyed Hermione, though Harry was certain the witch secretly also reveled in it.

Hermione smacked his chest with the back of her hand when he pulled away, her action halfhearted at best. "Must you do that all the time? People, Harry included, are quite aware that I'm your wife. You don't need to prove it all the time."

Draco's lip curled into a snarl when he heard Harry snickering behind her. "Who says it's for anyone but me?"

She sighed at that and shook her head. "Come on then. We haven't danced yet and you know that just won't do. Not for this event."

"Hmm, gladly," he murmured as he threaded her arm through his and led her to the dancefloor.


	11. Stolen

**Hi everyone, I appreciate those of you reading. I hope you're still enjoying the little random one shots. It doesn't seem like this has a very large audience but that's fine as long as it's still being enjoyed by even a few. :)**

 **Now this one was originally meant to be the epilogue to the Christmas Eve Beginnings one shot but it didn't feel right at the time. So feel to read this as a follow up to that story or as it's own standalone story. Please read and review. :)**

* * *

 **Stolen**

Draco sighed as he signed his name across the last document on his desk. He hated working on holidays but he'd needed the extra prep time to prepare for his next case in front of the Wizengamot after the New Year. He hadn't lost a case yet since he'd managed to get a position at the Wizarding law firm and he didn't want to start now.

After straightening his desk, he donned his coat and locked up for the evening. The streets were quiet in Diagon Alley as he made his way to the nearest apparation point. The only noise came from within the Leaky Caudron as a small group celebrated the holiday together.

He arrived at Malfoy Manor just past six and found his mother gathered by the fire in the main drawing room.

"Evening, Mother," he greeted as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Draco," she smiled and patted his cheek before he took a seat in the armchair opposite her. "I didn't think I'd see you until tomorrow for Christmas dinner."

He shrugged as he relaxed into the soft furniture, eyes trained on the fire crackling in front of them.

"Dear, you can't avoid this forever. You owe her this."

He glanced at his mother from the corner of his eyes and was pleased that she didn't appear as lonely as he feared she was. There was a slight tilt to her lips, a small smile, as she observed her son.

"I know," he finally nodded. "I haven't received an owl today so I suppose everything went alright after all."

Narcissa shook her head but continued to smile. "You work too much but I'm very proud of you, dear."

Draco nodded and knew she meant it. He tried so very hard to do the best he could. After a few more moments of quiet, he heaved himself up and reached to straighten his suit under his coat.

"Sure you're alright by yourself tonight?"

"Positive, Draco. Now go on," she smiled warmly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded and with a loud crack he was gone. He landed on the outskirts of the property and could smell the country fragrance of dying grass and dirt. His nose wrinkled a bit but he took a deep breath to regain his composure and began the trek towards the house.

The lights were on inside and he could hear the cheerful sounds of music and laughter, smells of food wafting in the area. The gravel crunched under his expensive dress shoes, so loud to his own ears that he nearly turned on heel and ran the other direction before anyone spotted him.

It was too late though when he finally got near the door. It opened quickly and Harry Potter stepped out, glass of eggnog in hand.

The bespectacled wizard eyed him closely before stepping forward and holding out his free hand.

"Malfoy, it's about time."

Draco eyed the man's hand for only a moment before he reached out to take it for a firm shake. "Sorry, trying to stay on top of things. My supervisor gave me the Monahan case that's going to trial after the holidays."

Harry nodded as he eyed him closely. "He's over it all if that's what you're worried about. No one's going to kick your ass in there. Particularly not tonight. Mrs. Weasley would have everyone's head."

The blonde nodded as the other man turned to return inside. He took a deep breath and followed him, shutting the door closely behind him.

The Burrow was alive with noise and chatter. Having only been here once before Draco wasn't sure what to expect but was relieved when those who spotted him only gave him a polite nod, not breaking away from their conversations.

"See," Harry nodded towards the crowded living room, "He's seeing someone now."

Draco spotted Ron Weasley seated on the old sofa next to a blonde witch he recognized as Lavender Brown. The couple seemed rather cozy next to each other as they traded little pecks and nauseating touches.

Pulling his focus away from them, he turned back to Harry. "Where is she?"

Harry tipped his head to his right. "In the kitchen with my wife, I believe. Something about making another batch of eggnog after George spiked the first one." He smirked and held his glass up. "Frankly, I quite like this batch."

Draco smirked in return and patted him on the shoulder as he passed by for the kitchen. The last time he'd been here, he left with a black eye and a bloody nose. He'd gotten a few good swings in on Weasley though so at least his pride wasn't too hurt.

Just as predicted, he found her gathered next to Ginny Potter as they fussed over a large punch bowl. He stopped to watch for a moment before he made his presence known. She'd worn the red dress tonight. His favorite. The one that left her shoulders bare and flared out at her hips, reminding him of that Christmas Eve dinner their last year at Hogwarts.

He cleared his throat after a moment and stepped into the doorway. "Sorry, I'm late."

Hermione whirled around at the sound of his voice and the smile she gave him nearly knocked the breath from his lungs. She left her friend's side to step up to him. She grasped his tie in both hands as she lifted herself on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips.

"I told you everything would be fine," she breathed against his lips.

Both of them missed the smirk Ginny directed at them as she lifted the bowl of eggnog and exited the kitchen.

Draco shrugged, his hands finally coming around her waist to support her as she continued to lean against him.

"I stole you from Weasley just six months ago and married you only three months ago. I didn't exactly expect a warm welcome from anyone."

Hermione rolled her eyes and pressed one more kiss to his lips before she pulled back again. "You didn't steal me. We broke up a year ago and he was having trouble letting go."

He frowned at the memory of so many of her friends doubting her decision to be with him. It had taken some time and some convincing from Potter himself but they'd all come around it seemed.

"Still, sorry that it caused you so much trouble," he admitted.

She took his hand and led him from the kitchen. They stopped on the outskirts of the chatter in the main room and she squeezed his hand. "Stop apologizing, Draco. Everyone's happy now. That's all I've ever wanted."

He cracked a slight smile and squeezed back. "Sorry."

Brown eyes turned up to him, amusement dancing in them before she used her grip on his hand to wrap his arm around her slim shoulders. "Apology accepted. Now enough. It's Christmas Eve after all."


	12. Wizard's Vow

**This one is my new favorite. Not really sure why.**

* * *

 **Wizard's Vow**

Draco pushed against all of the dirty, tired bodies crowding the Great Hall. He tried not to notice the injured and those he suspected might even be dead. He tried to block out all of the atrocities from the last few hours. So much destruction in such a short amount of time and he felt sick.

He saw multiples heads of familiar ginger hair and his nerves settled but only minutely. Harry Potter was lingering outside the doors, speaking with members of the Order and trying his best not to be noticed for once.

None of this familiarity calmed him. He turned the corner and exited the double doors and felt his breath freeze in his lungs. She stopped at the edge of the stairs, her throat bobbing as she swallowed and her brown eyes glazed with fresh tears.

Weasley opened his mouth to speak to her when he stopped at her side but he was too late. She was already moving, sprinting really, until she slammed right into Draco.

A harsh breath escaped him at the impact of her small body but his arms came around her, unsurely but reflexively. He curled himself around her, his nose thrust into her curls still drawn back into a messy ponytail, and his hands cradling her at her lower back and shoulders.

So many letters had been exchanged since that night he'd fled the castle with Snape their sixth year. Apologies for years of torment and apologies for all of the horrible things he'd done and likely would be forced to do—all a last ditch effort to clear just one tiny square of his soul before all hell broke loose.

He hid the scraps of parchment with her tidy handwriting, lying about the dodgy, random birds that delivered them when he was least likely to be caught. He'd shed actual tears over the last note he'd sent after they'd managed to escape his home after his aunt had marked her for life. Tears of regret and remorse, even a smudge of his own blood where he'd cut himself in the process of writing the damned letter in order to make his vow. Nothing would make up for him not being able to save her from the bitch's cruel wrath.

But she'd understood and forgiven him, assuring him there wasn't anything he'd have been able to have done about it.

But he disagreed and pledged his life to her. A wizard's vow to do everything in his power to care for her with no expectation of anything in return.

Harry and Ron watched at the base of the crumbled staircase as their best friend cried in the arms of the boy who they'd long suspected she'd been talking to all year. They'd been angry about it but ultimately didn't confront her once they realized how those simple letters gave her hope and something to look forward to when all looked so bleak.

She wouldn't own her feelings for him out loud, maybe not even to herself yet, but they knew. Ron's ego stung to have her slip through his fingers but he wasn't so selfish as to interfere.

Narcissa Malfoy emerged from the Great Hall to find her son holding the crying and shivering muggle-born girl, the one she hadn't been certain would even survive the torture on their drawing room floor. She watched the way her son soothed his hands over the girl's back, whispering soothing words at her ear as she finally— _finally_ —allowed herself to break down.

Lucius emerged at her side and stopped cold as well when she held her hand up in the air with authority.

"If you so much as speak to them, _against them_ , I'll put you in Azkaban myself." She turned to face him then. "Leave them be. Let him make his own choices." She looked back at her son and made eye contact as he looked up finally over the girl's head. "He may still have the opportunity to do so and I'll be damned if you think to take this— _her_ —from him."

Draco closed his eyes in relief when his father stalked off without a word when Kingsley Shacklebolt called his name. He felt Hermione stiffen in his arms at the name and finally pressed his lips to her temple.

"Calm down, Granger. None of them can hurt you now. I made a vow and I meant it."

Hermione breathed shakily with her face still pressed into his shoulder, the smoky amber smell of him still calming her nerves when she finally lifted her face. She released her grip on his shoulder and brought her hand up to wipe away some of the smudges of dirt on his pale cheeks. His pale blonde hair was more disheveled than she'd ever seen it and she knew the grimace on his face wasn't from her touch but more so his guilt.

As if reading her mind, he shook his head. "No, Granger. I am guilty but I vowed to do it because I _wanted_ to do it."

Hermione nodded wordlessly and leaned in to press her nose to his shoulder, breathing him in again. "Don't let go, Draco."

Draco swallowed as he rested his chin on top of her head and finally met the eyes of her two best friends who were still watching. He felt his stomach settle a little when Potter gave him a nod in understanding and Weasley followed suit.

"Never," he whispered. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her, still able to detect the floral notes over the smoke and sweat. "Never, Hermione."


	13. I'll Have Granger

**I'll Have Granger**

"I'll have Granger."

About fifteen sets of eyes all swiveled towards Draco Malfoy at the same time, a curious brown pair included.

Draco stood in the middle of the herbology classroom and folded his arms over his chest and shrugged. "What? I'm not willing to sacrifice my grade over some stupid muggle game."

Heads nodded in understanding and the attention shifted a bit, though those brown eyes were still trained on him closely.

Professor Sprout was ill and had left instructions for the class to review for their N.E.W.T.S. in her absence. In order to do so, she thought it would be an excellent idea to pair them off in teams to play a giant game of scrabble—Herbology style. They were to spell out the terms on their test and discuss the topics as they lined out each word.

The class was small given that not all of their year had returned after the war. Yet the golden trio was ever present, fending off the hordes of attention. In Draco's opinion, Weasley was the worst of them. The rodent had dropped Hermione after a simple squabble and was now content to 'play the field'.

Potter didn't seem too keen but handled it all well enough. It was Granger who seemed the most ill at ease. She hid in the library more than usual. And Draco would know as that was also his favorite hiding spot.

Most didn't trust him even if they still spoke to him. He could tell. He knew when the whispers started.

The teams paired off to count out their letters. Harry and Ron were eyeing Draco rather closely as Hermione joined him with their letters.

"Let's just not question the oddity of you choosing me as your partner for this and get on with it," she spoke blandly as she tucked her skirt and carefully took a seat next to him on the stone floor.

"Like I said," he shrugged, "I'm not sacrificing my grade for this."

Brown eyes watched him through her thick lashes and he shifted nervously.

~o~O~o~

"I'll have Granger."

"Ugh," Hermione groaned and picked up her coat from the back of her desk chair. "Why do you always choose me when you know we're just going to get on each other's nerves?"

Draco shrugged and held the office door open for her, ignoring the questioning quirk of her eyebrows, and followed her out the door.

"Likely because despite the squabbling, we still finish our assignments before everyone else and I'd enjoy an afternoon free to kick up my feet," he smirked.

"Always thinking of yourself," she muttered with a shake of her head.

 _Only when I'm not thinking of you._

~o~O~o~

"I'll have Granger."

Hermione scoffed and smacked his shoulder with the back of her hand. "You'd better have me, you prat. I'm your girlfriend for Merlin's sake."

Draco shrugged, a sly grin still gracing his lips. "You know I like to take my best chances at winning any game, your silly Pictionary game included. I need your brain."

She rolled her eyes and slumped irritably against the sofa they were seated on as Luna Lovegood got up to start drawing her first clue.

"Would it kill you for once to say you want me for some reason other than my brain?"

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe that you like being around me, my personality, my conversational skills…take your pick."

He shrugged, "Ok, fine. Then let's say it's because you're so snoggable, especially right after I win a game."

She closed her eyes and banged the back of her head against the sofa repeatedly. "Ugh, you're infuriating."

"You said take my pick," he smirked.

~o~O~o~

"You'll be having… _what_ ," Blaise asked again.

Draco sipped his drink as they stood near the food table at the Ministry's Christmas party. "We'll be having a little Granger…err…Granger-Malfoy technically…in late May."

Blaise rolled his eyes and sipped his firewhiskey as he eyed Draco's non-alcoholic beverage with distaste, thankful his own wife wasn't so testy about his drinking habits.

"Only your wife would insist on keeping her surname and hyphenating. You're whipped, mate."

Draco eyed the small beginnings of the bump on his wife's stomach as she spoke animatedly with one of their co-workers across the room. He shrugged. "Blaise, if you were married to that witch you'd understand. She's wearing my ring. I got over the idiotic name issue. I have Granger and that's all I care about."

"Sap."

"A sap with a hot, pregnant wife," he smirked in return.


	14. Conversation at the Portrait Hole

**Conversation at the Portrait Hole**

Harry returned from the portrait hole to find Hermione still seated in front of the fire and scribbling furiously on her parchment for her potions essay.

"Uh, Hermione, someone's at the portrait hole for you."

She lifted a delicate eyebrow but didn't look up front her work. "You can tell him that I don't wish to speak with him—now or ever again."

Harry rolled his eyes as he sighed. "Seriously, just talk to the git so he'll go away. He's scaring the first years."

Hermione slapped her quill down on the table and stood abruptly. She glared at her best friend but stomped past him irritably. She wrenched the door open and stepped out carefully. Still dressed decorously as if she'd just left class, her school shirt was tucked neatly and only her tie was missing. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited with the toe of one foot tapping, the picture of Gryffindor perfection.

The current bane of her existence was pacing in front of the door to her dormitory, his jumper sleeves pushed up over his forearms and his shirt untucked messily, peeking out from beneath. He looked a right mess as he stopped abruptly when he sensed her presence.

Draco Malfoy turned to her with an angry sneer plastered on his face and stepped closer to her.

"Was it really necessary to embarrass me that way in front of the entire Great Hall, Granger," he snarled.

She lifted an eyebrow in challenge as she tilted her head back slightly to meet his grey eyes as he stepped up to her. "If you think embarrassing you is the worst I can do, Draco, then you're sorely mistaken."

The blonde groaned and ran his hands through his hair, mussing the formerly well combed strands. "Merlin, Granger, it wasn't what you think. She bloody well attacked me."

She gave him a tight smile, no teeth, and he knew he was screwed. "What it looked like was Pansy Parkinson snogging you as though she owned you right in front of both our houses. Are you telling me that my eyesight is failing me?"

"She's jealous, you daft woman!"

Hermione shook her head irritably. "Really, this was doomed from the beginning. I never should have even let you convince me to try this. It will never work."

She began to turn away from him to reenter her dorm but Draco stopped her with a hand wrapped around her upper arm as he pulled her back to him.

"I wasn't done yet, Granger!"

Hermione shook off his grip and pushed at his chest to gain some space. "You can't even call me by my given name. Where exactly do you think this is going to progress to?"

Draco's fists clenched at his sides and he nearly flinched at the cold look in her usually warm brown eyes. His father had been his initial concern but with the man in Azkaban for the foreseeable future and the uprising being quelled there had been nothing stopping him from finally pursuing the muggle-born witch he'd secretly had a crush on for the longest time.

They'd shocked the whole damn school but it was the Slytherins who were having the most trouble accepting the relationship. Pansy Parkinson in particular took it as a personal slight and wasted not a single opportunity to remind Draco what a prudish bookworm his girlfriend was. She also liked to remind him just what he was missing out on by dating Hermione Granger.

"Hermione," Draco muttered through gritted teeth, "I'm working on that. It's just…odd still."

The witch rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. "You pursued _me_ , Draco, not the other way around. I care about you quite a lot but I'm not compromising my convictions for you. You told me you accepted that I'm not going to give you the kind of physical relationship that Pansy very obviously keeps dangling in your face. If that's a problem then we need to end this."

Draco sighed and reached out for her gently. She resisted him trying to unfold her arms at first but acquiesced finally when he framed her face in both hands and leaned down to press a kiss to her mouth. He felt her hands grips his wrists loosely and pulled back to see her.

"I told you that sex isn't important." He smirked down at her then, "I was well aware before I went after you that you're a prude."

"Oh!" She slapped at his hands irritably, feigning annoyance at his laughter. "Seriously, Draco…"

The blonde rolled his eyes but sighed. "I already told her off after you stormed off. She knows that if she tries anything again, she's going to get hexed within an inch of her life."

Hermione sighed and allowed him to pull her to him again, his arms around her waist now forcing her to lean against his chest as she peered up at him. "Are you really sure you want to continue this?"

Draco merely leaned down to engage her in a deeper kiss this time, taking a quick taste of her tongue before he pulled back again.

"For the thousandth time, yes. As long as I can still snog you in the library, I'll be satisfied. We're only seventeen for Merlin's sake and I've got the rest of my life to get in your pants, Granger."

He smirked when she huffed at him, her shy smile peeking through the irritated sound.

"About damn time," Harry muttered from the open portrait hole. He didn't so much as flinch when both turned to face him. "For Merlin's sake Malfoy, every time you piss her off we pay for it. See to it that she stays happy or else I'm coming after you myself."

Draco growled when the Gryffindor retreated back inside, leaving them alone again. "Tell me again why you're friends with that idiot."

Hermione shook her head and leaned up on her toes to place a quick kiss on his lips. "Because he's always looking out for me because of idiots like you," she smirked.

He frowned at that but she quickly soothed the expression away with a more thorough kiss than before. After a few moments of snogging, she finally pulled away and began to retreat from his arms, though he was hesitant to let her go.

"It's getting late. I'm off but you have prefect duties tonight. Best get to it before Professor McGonagall catches you here."

Draco groaned at the reminder and from her untangling herself from him. "Thanks for the reminder. The last thing I need is another lecture not to distract her best student. I daresay that woman bloody well likes you more than even Potter."

"Stop being dramatic," she chastised.

He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets and sighed as she moved towards the portrait hole again.

"Hermione," he called as she opened it.

The witch whirled around quickly, slight surprise on her face at hearing her given name from him. "Yes?"

There were three words dangling on the tip of his tongue as he looked her over. He'd never said them to anyone, not even his parents, and wasn't certain she'd reciprocate.

His lip twitched with indecision before he sighed. "Goodnight, love."

She smiled at him and nodded. "Goodnight, Draco."


	15. Mudblood

**I'll trade you reviews for another story later tonight. ;)**

* * *

 **Mudblood**

He stood in the darkest corner, his back braced painfully against the wall. He was trying desperately not to be noticed—not to notice. Her cries were louder than he'd have imagined, or maybe it was just that he was attuned to her voice from so many years of her retorts to his taunting.

His aunt had been at her for nearly an hour when she finally appeared bored with the girl who was all but passed out on his drawing room floor. They didn't see the way her tired eyes blinked slowly in his direction. They didn't see the unshed tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, her cheeks still painted from the ones she'd not been able to contain earlier as she glanced down at the blemish on her skin.

 _Mudblood_

The blood wept down her exposed arm, taunting him. A word he'd once thought so harmless in truth. Now he was forced to see the full ramifications of the word, the hideous letters strewn together to form a slur so vile his stomach threatened to spill.

Those brown eyes blinked in his direction; though he wasn't certain they really saw him there. She was alive and breathing. He was amazed but yet somehow knew he really shouldn't be. Only _she_ could survive such torture, such hatred, and still take another breath.

 _Mudblood_

It trickled from her new wound like a cracked glass slowly leaking water. It was bright red, much like his own. There was truthfully nothing muddy about it at all.

He closed his eyes and forced his mind to wander. He'd pushed the thoughts, the fantasies, into the darkest cupboard in his mind. His father had his suspicions that his ranting about the girl went deeper than irritation and disgust. He would have been wiser to have shown indifference.

He'd beaten the untold fantasies of kissing her from his mind's eye. The imagined sensation of soft, forbidden lips forgotten. Replacing hidden daydreams of her with filth and lies. Another layer of grime to prime his manufactured hatred.

But had they really hidden anything at all?

He cringed at the sound of her muffled gasp and opened his eyes. He just as quickly ripped his gaze from her body when his aunt pulled her up from the floor, that damned cursed dagger pressed to the ivory skin of her throat. Another nick, another trickle of bright red blood dripped down her pristine skin as her friends reappeared.

It was over before it began and he was left with his memories and daydreams.

 _Mudblood_

Just how stupid he'd been.


	16. Again

**As promised, one more. Another short one. I'm working on some longer ones.**

* * *

 **Again**

"Again," she asked in a whisper. Her sleepy eyes flicked up to the glowing red numbers of the alarm clock to find that it was three in the morning. Her eyes fluttered shut again when his lips trailed along her shoulder, sucking at her skin softly and causing a tremor to rock through her body.

Draco shifted at her back, his hips pressed tight against the small of her back as he ground himself against her gently. "Again, Granger. You promised. One full week—whenever I want you I can have you. You lost the bet, remember?"

Hermione sighed tiredly and flipped over onto her other side to face him, her hands coming up against his bare chest. She didn't know what possessed her to bet against Draco in chess. It was one of the few things where she came up short when compared to him. Yet in a rare moment of idiocy, she'd taken his bet. That was three days ago. Now the bloody idiot had had her twice just today since they'd gone to bed. Granted, he was fantastic in bed but she was _tired_.

"Remind me again why I agreed to marry you."

He groaned as he leaned forward to nip her bottom lip gently and began to roll her onto her back. "I was a better choice than Weasley and the Ministry _suggested_ all purebloods intermarry with muggle-borns." He settled his hips between her parted legs, a welcome embrace despite her grunt. "And I got to you before the bloody idiot could."

Hermione moaned as he trailed his lips along her neck while his hands trailed down to her chest to explore her there. He was aggressive but always handled her with such care that it surprised her at first.

"It's not like I would have married him had he had the brains to ask. He'd cheated on me or have you forgotten?"

She'd never forget the look of pure rage on Ron's face when she'd had to admit that Draco Malfoy had proposed to her and she'd accepted. A shameful part of her had wanted to hurt him as he'd hurt her. However, she'd have never anticipated the way her relationship with Draco would change. What had begun as a business arrangement had become quite pleasurable for both parties.

"Hmm, haven't forgotten. Bloody idiot," he hummed against her skin. "Merlin, you taste good."

A soft bubble of laughter escaped her and she threaded her fingers into the silky hair at the back of his head while his mouth worked at the spot in the crook of her neck that sent heat down to her core. "Imagine you saying that when we were in school."

Draco hummed deep in his throat as he ran the tip of his tongue along her jaw. "Hmm, I was stupid. Very," he kissed her lips gently, "very," again, " _very_ stupid."

Hermione gasped when he entered her suddenly and dug her nails into his shoulders. "You're not as stupid now," she sighed.

"Never again," he growled against her ear as he took up the rhythm that they'd learned they were so good at together.


	17. Waltz

**Your reviews fuel the inspiration. Thank you all for reading.**

* * *

 **Waltz**

"This is just ridiculous. Why did I even suggest this?"

Draco merely smirked down at the witch, hands comfortably in his pockets as he watched her pace back and forth, ranting adorably.

"Because you're a glutton for punishment would be my guess."

Hermione stopped and whipped back around to glare at him. "Malfoy, I'm serious. I can't waltz and I'd rather not embarrass myself at the Ministry's New Year's Ball."

"So you decided to ask me to use my impeccable breeding to tutor you," he surmised to smirk.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Malfoy, I'm asking you kindly…please don't be your usual git self about this. I'm mortified enough as it is."

Draco eyed the witch slowly from head to toe. Gone was the usual work attire he'd grown accustomed to over the last few years working together. Her sensible heels were replaced with broken in trainers she'd referred to as 'Converse', whatever that meant. Gone was her usual fitted pencil skirt and neatly tucked blouse and instead replaced with fitted jeans and sweater that threatened to fall off of one of her slender shoulders.

His eyes caught on the slight glimpse of ivory skin of the nearly exposed shoulder and he fought the urge to lick his lips, knowing full and well she wouldn't respond positively to such lecherous leering.

However, he'd caught himself failing to reign in his reaction much more lately now that she and the Weasel were officially no more. Only took her three years without even a mention of a ring to wise up and realize they weren't going in the same direction in their lives.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her and sighed. "Alright, Granger, I'll play nice. But you're borrowing my time so you'll play by my rules. Understood?"

Hermione looked a bit apprehensive at first but nodded slowly. What choice did she really have?

He approached her and held out both hands. He tried not to sigh with satisfaction when her small hands grasped his, nearly disappearing as he wrapped his fingers around them. One at his shoulder, and one out to their sides, he gingerly placed his free hand on her slender waist and began guiding her slowly.

"What about the music," she asked suddenly, too distracted by watching her feet moving to notice the way he was looking at her or how close he held her, despite the dance being a waltz.

"If you can hold the rhythm without music, you'll be able to hold it with music, Granger. Keep moving."

He moved them gracefully around his living room which he'd transfigured into a small, makeshift ballroom. He kept his eyes firmly on the woman in his arms, wishing desperately that she'd relax and meet his gaze.

Hermione was too busy watching her feet and stumbling over his toes to notice though. After about fifteen minutes of fumbling, and stepping on his toes at least once, she finally huffed irritably and tore her hands from him.

"This is useless. I can't dance, Malfoy. Not the waltz anyway."

Draco eyed her heatedly, noting the furious blush creeping over her cheeks as her eyes cast off to the side to avoid his gaze. He had a feeling she knew how he felt about her. He'd not exactly done his best to hide it now that she was single again.

"You can and you will," he asserted. He closed the distance between them again and reached down for one hand. "This one goes here." He kissed the inside of her wrist, noting her soft gasp, and placed the hand on his shoulder. "And this one goes here." He kissed the other wrist as he repeated the action, her blush deepening. He gently grasped her waist with both hands. "And you step closer here."

He pulled her forward with just enough force that she had to circle her arms around his neck to balance herself. He watched as she swallowed, her eyes now firmly holding his gaze.

"I-I don't think this is the proper form for the waltz," she stuttered.

"Depends on the kind of waltz," he hummed, her face drawing nearer as he craned his neck down to her.

Hermione's eyes fluttered shut on their own and her heart nearly leapt from her chest when he finally closed the distance between them with a tight press of his lips against hers. She sighed as he nibbled her lower lip before he brushed the sensitive skin inside with the tip of his tongue.

Her fingers gripped the fine hair at the back of his head and she returned the gentle flick of his tongue with a hesitant one of her own. The action earned a deep growl from him and she felt his arm weave tighter around her waist, pushing her harder against him as he thrust his tongue past her lips to tease her own.

She groaned at the forced intrusion but returned the kiss with equal intensity, her mind functioning well enough to realize the magnitude of what was happening. His comments had grown increasingly more flirtatious since she and Ron had called it quits and she found herself oddly enjoying them. He was awfully popular with women but didn't date often. Something about the reclusive Draco Malfoy showing interest only in her boosted her ego when she needed it most.

Ron had rebounded ridiculously fast and she hated to admit that she enjoyed the way Draco's open flirtations annoyed him. She also enjoyed the way they made her feel.

But she wasn't assertive in the dating department. Never had been really.

Hermione whimpered pitifully when Draco pulled away after a few more moments, leaving her rather breathless and sulky to lose his touch.

She felt his lips press wetly to her forehead before he pulled her to rest her head against his shoulder as he set his chin on top of her head.

"See, that was an awfully good waltz, Granger."

Breathless, she muttered, "Perhaps I can waltz then."


	18. Daydream

**Daydream**

White sheets. She lay bared to him against pure, white sheets. Trapped under him, he ate up every sigh, every moan, and groan of pleasure. The way her slender hands twisted into the sheets under her and her smooth thigh that brushed his hip sent him into a delirium.

His lips trailed over her cheeks and down the smooth column of her throat to her chest. With every pull of breath over her parted lips, her chest heaved towards him. She shivered as he used the point of his tongue to caress over her chest. A strangled whimper worked free of her throat when his lips closed over one breast.

He stilled her shifting hips with one hand, and met her brown eyes as he continued to worship the peak of one breast with his mouth. She gasped when he kissed his way over to the other one, relishing the moment one of her hands left their task of gripping the sheets to thread through his hair at the back of his head as she pushed him closer to her.

She tasted of nothing and everything all at once. This witch so demure in her everyday life, coming to life under him as he ravished her body.

"Draco," she sighed as he kissed his way back to her lips.

He cradled her with his forearms resting on either side of her head. He watched as her head lolled to the side as he entered her slowly. He sighed as her hands lifted and her fingertips ghosted over the edge of his jaw, urging his lips back to her neck as he began an agonizingly slow pace.

Only she could bring out this side of him, locked away and hidden from the world.

He wasn't a patient or gentle man. His reputation preceded him. But her…she unlocked his most tender side when he worshipped her body this way…

Draco blinked rapidly when Potter dropped a stack of files on his desk unceremoniously.

"Daydreaming there, Malfoy," he snickered.

He sneered and threw up an impolite hand gesture to his co-worker which only caused more laughter from the man.

Hermione sat across from him, completely oblivious to the exchange between him and her best friend. He watched as she reached to tuck some stray curls behind her ear and looked up with a smile when Harry said his goodbyes for the afternoon, leaving them alone. Draco groaned miserably to himself as her hand continued its frenzied scrawling across her parchment.

His eyes finally slid to his own report that he hadn't touched for the last hour and he propped a cheek on one fisted hand.

He nearly jumped when he felt warm hands grazing his shoulders suddenly.

"Thinking about last night again, were we," she whispered low near his ear.

Draco licked his lips, eyes still trained on his parchment. "Maybe."

His pants grew uncomfortable when her tongue grazed his earlobe slowly. "Perhaps you'll be so kind as to give your wife a repeat performance tonight?"

He didn't have an opportunity to respond before she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before rounding their desks to retrieve her bag and her coat.

"See you at home," she smiled shyly.

Draco stared at the parchment before him for all of five seconds before he stumbled out of his seat, grabbed his belongings, and rushed after her.

Daydreams just never did her justice.


	19. The Proposal

**Here's a longer one as many of you have been requesting. :) Please read and review. Also, head's up. I've been struck with another multi-chapter idea. I may not be posting one-shots as often as I shift focus to developing the idea and writing the full story before posting.**

* * *

 **The Proposal**

Draco didn't chase women. He never had and he had never intended to start.

Yet here he found himself chasing one woman down the rugged cobblestone path in Diagon Alley, grumbling under his breath in the cold as she evaded him stubbornly.

"Are you going to stop for five seconds and listen to me," he called out. He gave a dirty look to the couple who looked at him strangely and shoved past them.

Those bloody honey-colored curls were bouncing around her shoulders under her wool hat as she moved briskly around the bodies jamming the holiday crowd.

"I'm done listening, Draco!"

With a growl, he increased his speed until he was only a few steps behind her but still out of reach.

"It's not what you think!"

"I don't see how it couldn't be," Hermione retorted curtly, not bothering to slow her pace. "I invited you to my parents' for Christmas dinner and you were trying to let me down gently. Message received. We're through. I'm sure Astoria will love to hear the news."

Draco nearly grumbled at the sound of his ex's name. "That was over years ago and I dated her mostly just to please my parents at the time. We've been over this."

Sure, he'd dated the witch for a year or so after the war before he wised up and ended it. He didn't the need the reminders from everyone!

Merlin, could that witch move! He was beginning to become winded by her pace. And was he sweating under his coat? Bloody hell, he needed to get her to slow down.

"Tell that to her then," she argued. "And your father still hasn't gotten over you dating me anyway. I'm sure he'll be relieved to know you've come to your senses."

"Bollocks," he muttered to himself as he nearly tripped over some uneven cobblestone. "Granger, I don't give a shit what my father thinks. My mother loves you and that's more than enough." His hamstrings were really burning now. Maybe he really should join her on her evening runs after work.

Draco finally stopped abruptly. He leaned over with his hands on his knees, panting in the cold air. "Granger, would you just stop for five seconds? For Merlin's sake, I was proposing, woman!"

Hermione stopped cold then. Slowly, she turned to face him, as had many in the Alley when he'd shouted those last words at her. Her face gone deathly white, she muttered, "What?"

He scrubbed a hand down his face with a sigh before he finally approached her. "You bleeding, stubborn witch," he grumbled under his breath. "I was trying to propose to you before you so rudely ran off."

"P-propose?"

Draco sighed heavily and nodded. He was all too aware of their rather large audience and while this wasn't exactly what he'd planned, it would just have to do.

"Yes, you stubborn witch. I was proposing. You know…marriage?"

Hermione tipped her head curiously, like a bird observing him for the first time. She squinted her eyes at him incredulously. "By telling me all the things wrong with me and why we shouldn't work? Are you bloody mental, Draco?"

He rolled his eyes skyward for a moment before finally peering down at her again. "Clearly."

With another heavy sigh, he slowly sunk onto one knee. He fought the urge to smirk as both of her gloved hands covered her mouth in surprise before he reached for her left one, slowly removing the glove and tucking it neatly into his pocket.

"I swear to Merlin, if you run off this time…"

Hermione quickly shook her head, eyes wide and beginning to water. "I won't."

"Good, now…where was I?" He massaged the pad of his thumb over her ring finger and met her chocolate eyes. He shrugged to himself and reached into his pocket for the small box holding her ring before he opened it to present it to her. "Well, I've ruined what I had planned to say anyway. So the question remains, will you sentence us to a lifetime of misery?"

She managed to huff in mock outrage and swatted him with her free hand. "Draco!"

A familiar smirk lit his features and he snorted. "Fine, fine." He cleared his throat and looked at her more seriously. "Hermione, will you be my wife?"

She nodded quickly, the corner of her lip caught between her teeth as she watched him remove the ring from the box and move it to the end of her finger.

"I'm keeping my name though," she added quickly.

Draco stalled just before slipping the large ring onto her finger and narrowed his eyes at her. Only his difficult witch would make such an assertion before he could even slip the blasted ring on her.

"I'll agree to you hyphenating. That's it."

Truthfully, he'd been prepared for that argument. He wasn't sure why but he had a gut instinct that she was just the kind of woman who wouldn't want to change her name completely, whatever the reason may be.

She shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Agreed."

He nodded and slipped the ring on her finger before standing to a round of polite applause, a few wolf whistles included. He ignored the attention and instead pulled her into a heated kiss.

If her lips were any sign, she was quite satisfied with his proposal. Normally she'd shy aware from such a public display but this didn't seem to be stopping her. She sucked his lower lip gently before nipping the flesh as she always did, earning a deep groan from him signifying his satisfaction.

He pulled away after a few more moments and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He smirked as she turned her gaze down to the new accessory adoring her finger. His mother had tried to insist on one of the Malfoy family jewels but he wasn't stupid. Nothing from the vaults would be right for his witch. She needed something custom and unique just like her.

His father would have been horrified by the number of galleons he'd dropped on commissioning her emerald cut ring.

As if reading his mind, she muttered, "Your father is going to shit himself."

Draco snorted at her rare usage of crude language and nodded happily. "It's certainly possible. Don't forget to bring that muggle room spray just in case." He chuckled when she swatted his chest lightly. "Though mother will be thrilled."

Hermione glanced up at him, thankful for the crowd finally going back to minding their own business now that the show was over. "You know I've never quite understood why she does like me. Not that I'm complaining mind you. I need all the support I can get in your family."

Draco slid an arm possessively around her shoulders and turned her to begin walking again, much slower this time.

"I think the war rattled her brains a bit." He grinned when she smacked his stomach again and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. "No, my mother's always gone against the grain a bit where pureblood society is concerned. She wasn't very pleased with Astoria for instance."

"You're joking?"

"Not in the least. Astoria is very vain. You…you've never been aware of your looks that much."

Hermione narrowed her eyes up at him. "Are you trying to call me frumpy, Draco?"

"Merlin, no! I merely meant that your beauty is more…natural, effortless. Astoria is very…"

"Manufactured," she grinned mischievously. It was a well-known fact that Astoria Greengrass had some interesting magical enhancements done—particularly in the chest area. And Draco was more of a leg man than a breast man, of that Hermione was sure.

He laughed openly and nodded. "That's a perfect word for it. Anyway, my mother appreciates that your mind comes first in your priorities and your looks second." He noted her skeptical look when he glanced down at her again and squeezed her shoulders with his arm. "You're fucking gorgeous, Granger. You know that. You're just not as showy about it and I like that."

Hermione accepted his kiss when he leaned down to her before a sly smile tilted her lips suddenly. "So…how do we break the news to everyone?"

Draco nearly laughed at the expression on her face. "I'll make you a deal. I get to tell the Weasel and Potter and you can give my father the heart attack you've been threatening him with for the last year."

Her lips spread into a full grin. "You read my mind. Perhaps we could even reenact the proposal for your dad…you know, so he can get the full effect."

He threw his head back in a loud bark of laughter and squeezed her shoulders. "Sweet Salazar, you really were meant for me, Hermione."


	20. Backfired Revenge

**Backfired Revenge**

They'd been working together for five years after the war. They'd made amends but there wasn't a day that went by that Hermione Granger didn't curse Draco Malfoy for some reason or another. Whether he was jinxing her paperwork to sing Phantom of the Opera to her or lacing her office chair with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes itchy powder and rejoicing in her constant scratching, he still loved to get a good rise out of her. If it weren't for the fact that they'd been partnered and actually produced the best results in the Magical Law Enforcement Office, she would have requested a transfer ages ago. But unfortunately, the idiot was actually competent and the only one closest to her mental abilities without holding her back.

She also hated that he'd grown up nicely post-war. Typical Malfoy, he came to work each morning in a pristine, fashionable suit and tie that had all the witches, and some wizards, drooling over him. He was attractive and he knew it.

And damn it, she hated that she also was aware of it but that didn't mean she was tempted by him. He annoyed the piss out of her! Good looks only got you so far with Hermione Granger.

Hermione sighed one Friday afternoon as she returned to her desk with her third cup of coffee of the day. She ignored Draco's smirking and the way he was twirling his quill as he watched her and merely flipped him the bird, as was common between them. The blonde's snort of amusement caused her to roll her eyes and she lifted a questioning eyebrow at him without looking up.

"Problem, Malfoy," she asked confidently.

"Not in the least, Granger." There was a grin in his voice; she knew it without even looking up. "Except that I didn't realize it was fashionable to wear your lunch these days."

Hermione glanced up quickly to meet his grey gaze and then down at her white blouse. With a frustrated growl, she pushed away from her desk to go down to the first aid office down the hall and obtain a potion to remove the stain.

"Damn it, Ron," she muttered to herself. "He just had to have Italian today."

"Oh, don't be too harsh on your little boyfriend," Draco drawled after her.

Hermione swished her wand behind her without even looking and sent one of his precious paperweights barreling straight for his nose. Draco caught the blasted thing, thankfully, and scowled at it as he replaced it on his desk.

He checked his surroundings quickly and once he was sure he had the all clear and everyone was preoccupied, he removed the tiny vial from his waistcoat and rounded his desk. He made to pretend to be shuffling through her papers before he dumped the tiny vial in her coffee.

If his calculations were correct, the redheaded weasel would be by here at any moment to annoy her. Her resulting anger would be worth it to see her attack the blasted dolt. They'd broken up six months ago after the idiot cheated on her with that Brown bint and he being the Slytherin that he was, intended to exact her revenge for her since she seemed content to let it go.

A little potion laced snog would surely anger the idiot's current girlfriend and give Granger some of her pride back, even if she wasn't willing to take it herself.

He'd never admitted it to her face, but he quite respected his partner. Faced with the possibility of being partnered with someone like Potter or Weasley, Granger was a godsend. She was beyond capable and he wouldn't deny the woman's brain power far exceeded his own. Perhaps he'd developed a soft spot for her over the years but seeing her so publicly embarrassed when the ginger idiot was caught snogging the stupid blonde in a Ministry broom closet just didn't sit well with him.

He scurried back to his own desk just in time for Ron Weasley to saunter over to their desks, a few files held sloppily under his arm.

"Malfoy," he acknowledged with a slight grimace.

Draco grinned and kicked his feet up on the corner of his desk. The idiot had never liked him being partnered with his best friend and former girlfriend.

"Weaselbee," he nodded.

He crossed his arms over his chest confidently when Hermione returned, blouse pristine again, and retook her seat.

"Please tell me you're not here for more help, Ronald," she nearly moaned in frustration.

Ron gave her a lopsided grin and pulled the files from under his arm. "Not much, Hermione. Harry and I are just stumped over this last bit here on this rare potion. Never heard of it before."

"Perhaps if you'd ever paid attention in class, Weasley, you wouldn't need to ask Granger for help all the time," Draco smirked.

Ron's lip curled, "Shut up, Malfoy."

"He's not wrong," Hermione commented dryly, eyes not even leaving the papers.

Draco grinned evilly at the ginger and enjoyed the man's groan. His attention shifted though when she reached for her coffee and took a large sip. He tried not to appear too interested but he watched the way she stilled and glanced up between the two of them slowly. Her brows furrowed and she licked her lips, her chest rising and falling as her breathing increased.

"You ok," Ron asked suddenly.

Hermione dropped her quill and lifted a shaky hand over her heart.

"Y-yeah, I just…" she shook her head quickly and glanced between the two men in front of her again. Her features screwed up in thought for a moment and she looked slightly conflicted. She pushed her chair back suddenly to give herself some space. "M-Malfoy, could you…uh…"

Draco stood unsurely as she rounded her desk. He was certain she was fighting her normal decorum and maybe wishing to have him leave their cubicle so she could ravish the idiot ginger as the potion was making her want to do but without any witnesses.

Imagine his surprise when she grasped his tie and pulled him down to her. The witch's full lips devoured his own before she moved her hands from his tie to thread through his baby-soft hair. The startled choke of her redheaded friend was his only link to reality as the witch worked his mouth over in a thorough snog, with him actually responding!

Surprised by both her actions and how good she actually felt, Draco groaned and kissed her back with just as much fervor. Her mass of curls were even silkier than they appeared and her waist was smaller than he'd originally thought when he wrapped his arms around her.

Weasley sputtered out a startled cough or some other unattractive sound which reminded Draco of their audience and he quickly pulled away from the witch in his arms.

"H-Hermione," Ron sputtered, "W-what…" He shook his head, at a loss for words.

Chocolate eyes wide and surprised as well, she glanced between the blonde and her friend. "I—uh—"

Her breathing was still rather labored and she looked back up at Draco, demanding answers with her eyes.

"Well that certainly didn't go as planned," Draco muttered.

He still wasn't quite over the feel of her lips on his or the way her small body molded so perfectly against him. Shit, he knew she was attractive but how had he never considered her like this before?!

After she got over her initial anger with him for spiking her coffee, which took a good week, the witch agreed to a date with him. Cleary, her attraction wasn't directed at her ex anymore and who was he to look a gift hippogriff in the mouth.

Seeing Weasley's face eight months later after he kissed the witch at the altar was all the satisfaction and revenge either of them ever needed.


	21. Blind Date

**Blind Date**

Draco groaned to himself as he stood before the mirror in his bedroom straightening his tie. He'd selected his best suit, the charcoal color paired with the navy shirt drawing out his grey eyes. Once the knot of his tie was resting comfortably at the base of his throat he reached for his pocket watch on his dresser top.

The Malfoy relic was one of few he still had and used regularly. The familiar ticking didn't soothe his frayed nerves though when he glanced at the time.

Two minutes to seven.

Why he'd agreed to another of his mother's ridiculous blind dates, he wasn't sure. He had a hard time telling the woman no though and that needed to stop. At twenty-seven years old, she needed to accept that he would do things his way. And perhaps that meant not ever marrying if he couldn't have the witch that _he_ wanted.

With a resigned sigh, he slipped the watch into his pocket and left his room.

His London home was still elaborate but less so than the manor where his mother still resided. He descended the grand stairs and moved to the nearest floo in his main living room.

Le Chateau would have his private table ready for him and with any luck the witch his mother had chosen this time wouldn't show. He could have a peaceful meal by himself and then finally have the conversation with his mother that he'd been avoiding.

The host, Peter, greeted him as usual with a pleasant smile and bowed his head.

"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy. Your date has already been seated. If you'll follow me."

Draco hid his irritation at that news and merely sighed as he followed the man to the usual table. The restaurant was full given that it was a Saturday evening and he nodded politely to a few people he recognized as he passed by them.

Peter drew the curtain back on a private dining room and smiled. "Enjoy your meal, sir."

Draco offered the man a polite but tight smile and ducked inside. He glanced up to meet the eyes of the witch waiting for him and nearly lost it. His jaw unlocked, mouth parting slightly in surprise as he eyed the woman.

"Granger?"

Hermione Granger looked up at him from the book she'd had placed between her silverware and water glass. The witch's brown eyes were wide with nerves and she was chewing her lip anxiously.

"Afraid so."

Draco opened his mouth to speak but couldn't really decide what words to form. So instead of some witty or biting remark, he stood in front of her sputtering like a buffoon.

"She made me an offer I couldn't refuse," she added quietly, glancing shamefully down to her book.

 _Even on a bloody date she brings a book_ , he thought sarcastically.

More curious than ever and not wanting to scare the woman off, he took up his seat across from her and unfolded his napkin in his lap, his intention to stay now clear.

"What do you mean she made you an offer you couldn't refuse?"

Hermione's brows rose as she watched him settle in and was a bit surprised he was staying now that he knew his mother had basically bribed her to be here.

"I've recently lost a backer for my department's annual Christmas fundraiser."

"Ahh," he hummed as he reached to sip his glass of water. Now it made more sense. "That explains it then."

While the two were no longer hostile like they were when they were children, he and Hermione Granger weren't exactly friends. She greeted him as pleasantly as anyone else at social functions when they crossed paths. The wizarding community was small after all. However, she certainly didn't aspire to spend her free time chatting with him, still preferring the company of the Potters and her Weasley boyfriend.

 _How in Merlin's name that idiot hasn't proposed to her yet, I don't know._

Draco took a moment to discreetly eye her up and was mildly surprised to find her wearing a lavender dress that was cut decorously but offered up just the slightest tease of her cleavage, her arms and most of her shoulders bared and showing off the porcelain skin.

"Your mother seems to be under the impression that you have serious feelings for me," she commented quietly, closing her book and offering him her full attention.

He noted the smile now gracing her lips and paled considerably. She obviously had no idea.

Hermione watched as the color drained from his already pale face and her brown eyes widened a fraction. "Oh dear…are you serious?"

Her question was uttered just above a whisper and were he hard of hearing, he likely wouldn't have heard her.

"Surprise," he muttered, a feeble smile playing on his own lips now. He glanced down at his water glass, droplets of condensation sliding down the edge. "I suppose my mother didn't believe me when I said you were already taken."

Hermione blinked at him slowly, the edge of her lip now caught between her teeth again. "I'm—I'm not actually."

Grey eyes snapped back up to hers suddenly and her heart jolted in her chest.

"What?"

A faint blush dusted over her nose and cheeks. "That was over months ago. We had a disagreement about…values, I guess you could say. We have vastly different views on gender roles in a marriage."

Her blush deepened at that admission and he had to fight the urge to reach across the small table and touch her heated skin. He fought the urge to touch her nearly every time they crossed paths, her smile nearly always driving him crazy when he finally shut his eyes at night afterwards.

"Granger, I don't mean to sound judgmental but you'd dated that idiot for years now and you were just realizing that he's a caveman? What did he want you to do?"

"Be a stay-at-home mum." She rolled her eyes as a slight grimace graced her lips. "I want children but I also don't want to give up my career. I love my job." She met Draco's eyes then with a frown. "Plus I make more money. It wouldn't have made sense."

Draco nodded and tried to appear unaffected by her admission. "Hmm, I see," he hummed instead. "So you want it all then? House, children, maybe a grumpy cat or two?"

Hermione snorted nervously at his question but was relieved to see the usual teasing smile back on his face. She nodded, "I suppose so. I guess I am a traditionalist about a few things."

Draco shrugged and picked up his menu, definitely intending to see whatever strange thing this was through. He also wanted it to be clear that _he_ wasn't turned off by her personal admission.

"And how do you feel about stay-at-home fathers? I hear that's all the rage with these muggles lately."

She laughed openly at the cheesy smirk on his face as he peeked at her over the top of his menu.

"Well, it's certainly not something Ron would have ever even been open to doing. I seriously don't know how we dated for as long as we did without me realizing how antiquated he is about some things."

Having made up his mind, Draco set his menu aside and folded his hands on the tabletop as he met her brown gaze. Perhaps he was barmy with what he was about to utter next but what did he really have to lose?

"Let's see then. I have a large home, I want children, and I'm not opposed to being a stay-at-home father, particularly if you're the mother. Any chance you'll consider this a real date and give _me_ a shot?"

Hermione stared at him for a moment, shocked and uncertain for sure. However, a few moments of looking into those oddly hopeful grey eyes and she reached for her own menu finally.

"I have to warn you. Ron always said I have expensive taste in food."

Draco's smirk widened at that. "I don't think that will be a problem for us."


	22. Caught

**Just a reminder everyone, these one shots are not necessarily canon compliant. I'm well aware that certain events didn't happen as I write them. It's just fan fiction after all. Please keep this in mind. Thanks. :) Without further ado, enjoy another one shot while I continue to work on a longer fic.**

* * *

 **Caught**

It had been going on for a couple of months now. They hadn't told anyone, not for him not wanting to, but because she was terrified of what her friends would say.

However, it hadn't stopped her from spending most evenings after everyone else in the office was gone snogging the living daylights out of Draco Malfoy.

They'd been dancing around each other for the last two years. Angry quips had turned into innocent innuendos and Hermione found she liked the way he made her blush, despite her protests otherwise.

A blackout one evening with just the two of them left in the office found the two snogging like teenagers.

Friday nights were the best though. Everyone left early and while she tried to ignore his stare, it wasn't long before he flicked his wand and pulled her desk chair around to him. She yelped when he dragged her across his lap, her skirt not allowing her to straddle him like he'd prefer. She sighed though when his lips met hers and she felt a low rumble of a growl vibrate through his chest under her hands.

She wasn't sure how long they'd been kissing that evening when she heard it. She was preoccupied as the tip of his tongue kept circling hers in a maddening rhythm and she didn't quite remember allowing him to undo the first few buttons on her crisp, white blouse before she felt him cup one of her breasts through her lace bra.

Draco smiled against her lips when she moaned quietly. She was generally very quiet and he savored the sensual sound coming from the small witch in his lap.

She was addictive and he felt like an idiot for ignoring the urge to pursue her for so long.

 _"Bloody hell!"_

Hermione ripped her lips from his and twisted slightly to glance over her shoulder. A harsh blush colored her cheeks, all the while the blonde still had his hands inappropriately placed on her.

"Ron…Harry," she squeaked.

The two men both sported shocked expressions, Ron's face turned beet red as his mouth hung open. Harry, too, looked quite surprised but also slightly more amused than their friend.

"Get your eyes back in their sockets, Weasley," Draco growled, drawing her attention back to him as he rebuttoned her blouse for her. The lace bra was nearly see-through and he didn't relish the idea of anyone seeing any part of his witch.

And yes, he did consider her his. He had intentions of making their exclusivity very clear tonight when they finally left to go to dinner.

"I never even got to touch those," Ron muttered sheepishly to Harry.

Draco heard him though and couldn't quite fight the smirk that tilted his lips. She'd admitted not long after they'd started seeing each other that her relationship with the ginger had never been very physical.

Harry rolled his eyes and waved a hand between the couple. "So…this is…new?"

"Not at new as you'd think," Draco quipped.

Hermione slapped his shoulder lightly. "Draco," she hissed in admonishment. She turned her attention back to her friends and offered them a meek smile. "Sorry…I just…well, I thought you'd be upset about… _this_."

Harry chuckled as he moved over to his desk to pick up the paperwork he'd forgotten on his way out. "Hermione, I may not be his biggest fan but if anyone can tame the idiot it's you."

"I resent that, Potter," Draco growled, his hands still cradling Hermione hips and not letting her go yet.

The bespectacled wizard merely waved a dismissive hand. "You're a big girl, Hermione. I have faith that you know what you want."

"I can't believe it," Ron muttered suddenly.

They all glanced at the ginger who was still standing in the doorway looking dumbfounded.

"I had wanted to touch them for years and _he_ gets to? Just not fair."

"Ronald!"

Hermione looked slightly scandalized at her best friend's admission and crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

"Oi, Weasley, mind not making my girlfriend uncomfortable with your inappropriate ramblings?"

"Past tense, Malfoy," Ron glared at him, finally coming back to his senses. "Though they're still rather nice, I'm sure."

Ignoring his awkward comment, Hermione turned back to face the blonde whose lap she was still seated in comfortably. "Girlfriend," she questioned hopefully.

A small grin surfaced on his face and he kissed her gently. "You didn't think I spend my time snogging random women, do you? I'm rather selective you see. Of course if you're not interested—"

She cut him off by framing his cheeks in both hands, "I am. Interested, that is."

"Well, glad we all had this talk," Harry announced, breaking the two apart again. "Now I think I'll just go have a drink and try to mentally scrub away the image of your tongue down our best friend's throat, Malfoy."

"Shut the door after you, Potter. And take the ginger pervert as well!"

"Past tense," Ron yelled even as Harry yanked him out of the office.

"Now where were we," Draco grinned lasciviously.

Hermione smiled at him and rested her hands on his shoulders. "I believe I was having a lapse in judgement and allowing you to get to first base."

Draco's brow furrowed at that. "First base? What's that mean?"

She rolled her eyes and began to lean in to kiss him. "Muggle reference. I'll teach you later."

"Hmm," he hummed as she peppered soft kisses along his jaw. "Muggles. Thank God for them or there wouldn't be you."

She pulled back abruptly and stared at him. "Now why couldn't someone be here to catch you saying that?"

He rolled his eyes this time and reached a hand around her neck. "Oh for Merlin's sake, woman!"

All her protests died on her tongue when he sucked her lower lip between his. Caught indeed.


	23. Truth or Dare

**I think I have a new favorite. What about all of you? ;)**

* * *

 **Truth or Dare**

"I'm not answering that."

Draco rolled his eyes at her prim response, noting the way she crossed her arms over her chest self-consciously. "You agreed to play the game, Granger."

Her brown eyes flicked to his and he could clearly see the irritation bubbling just under the surface. She'd been driving him mad all day, wearing that blouse that tucked so neatly into her neat, black pencil skirt. It defined her small waist and every time she leaned over Potter's desk to consult the bloody wizard on some paperwork he nearly lost his marbles over the slightest glimpse of her cleavage.

There was no other explanation as to why he'd engaged the witch in a childish game of truth or dare when the ruddy Ministry elevator failed on them, trapping them ten floors up. It always took forever when such a situation occurred for anyone to notice since it didn't rely on magic, let alone do anything about it so they'd both slumped to the floor to wait it out.

"Come on then," he prodded, "I answered your sappy question about my childhood. So answer my question." He grinned lasciviously, "How often do you get yourself off?"

Hermione's flushed cheeks collected more blood under the surface and she bit her lip to contain the biting remark on the tip of her tongue.

"Come on," he continued, undeterred. "Men do it. Why can't women. It's perfectly healthy and everyone has urges. Even little _innocent_ Gryffindors such as yourself."

Her brown eyes snapped up to him again and her jaw unhinged in shock. "Who told you?!"

Draco merely grinned and shrugged. "Gentlemen never tell."

She huffed at that and nearly insulted him again but every time she insulted the git he seemed to like it even more. Best not to open that can of worms. Even Ron had noticed the way he'd been watching her a bit more than usual lately.

"Have I asked you anything sexual, you prat?"

"No, but you can if you'd like. After you answer my question first though."

Hermione huffed in frustration again and banged the back of her head against the steel wall of the lift. She mumbled something after a moment that he strained to hear.

He cupped a hand to his ear. "Sorry, what's that?"

"Ugh," she groaned, "about once a week. To take the edge off. Happy now?"

Draco grinned triumphantly. "Ecstatic."

She rolled her eyes at the blonde and turned a glare on him. "What about you then," she countered. "How often must you do it to be satisfied? I imagine not even those sleazy bimbos you run around with do the job."

His grin fell at the reminder of the annoying articles Rita Skeeter was always writing about him any time he so much as enjoyed a simple drink out with friends. It wasn't his fault he was attractive but he wasn't a cad.

"I don't sleep around, Granger. I'm quite selective actually and prefer relationships."

She eyed him from the corner of her eyes skeptically before turning to face him more seriously. "Surely you're joking, Malfoy. I've only ever known you to have one serious relationship."

Draco lifted a confident, pale eyebrow and eyed her pointedly. He enjoyed the way her eyes widened in realization and reveled in the return of his smug satisfaction in surprising the witch.

"To answer your question, at least once a day. Two or three times if I've had a run-in with you."

He didn't think it was possible for her to blush any harder but she did. The woman was practically glowing now and he loved it.

 _Bloody adorable._

"Well—I…I don't…uh…" She shook her head, completely flustered.

"I'm not trying to be crude but it's true," he shrugged. "I'm attracted to you, Granger."

When she didn't respond and merely continued to stare at her hands, he thought maybe he'd pushed the woman too far. But then she glanced over again at him in that shy way of hers, biting her bottom lip in the way that drove him nuts.

It was then that he moved.

If she pushed him away he'd be man enough to take the rejection but hell, why not give it a go, especially when they were here alone with no one to witness if she didn't reciprocate.

Hermione's eyes widened as she watched the blonde roll to his knees and practically crawl his way across the small lift space to her. Her breath hitched when his hands lifted almost hesitantly to frame her heated cheeks.

He licked his lips before finally diving in and pressing a soft, sensuous kiss to her full lips. He felt her shiver at first but she didn't push him away. Slender fingers trailed up the buttons of his crisp dress shirt before gripping the collar lightly, all the while she allowed his lips to tug at her own gently as he tried to coax her to respond.

He felt the tip of her hot, moist tongue slip between her lips to press against the seam of his mouth. Not stupid enough to refuse such a gift, Draco quickly opened his mouth to her timid exploration.

He'd heard for years that she was a fantastic kisser. That ginger oaf had bragged one too many times in his presence while they were dating about how much she loved snogging. However, the idiot failed to mention how good she felt—how soft her mouth was, or that her breath tasted like mint even hours after he'd seen her chewing that horrible muggle gum after lunch. He never mentioned how soft her hands were or the sweet sounds she made that she surely wasn't aware of when you sucked her lower lip.

Feeling that she was equally interested, Draco slid his hands down to her hips and quickly lifted the small witch as he turned to place his back against the lift wall. She pulled away from him in surprise when she found herself seated across his lap—only because her fitted skirt wouldn't allow him to have her straddle his hips.

Instead of words, he apologized with his lips again as he curled a strong hand behind her head and into her curls before bringing her mouth back to his.

All arguments died on her tongue—or was it his tongue? Hermione didn't really care at that moment. She'd not been in a relationship since Ron and her called it quits and she'd not been on a date in over six months.

If she were being perfectly honest with herself, she did find Draco attractive. _Maybe_ she'd fantasized about him a time or two since they'd started working together at the Ministry. _Perhaps_ she had used his good looks as fuel to satisfy herself a time or two.

A woman could dream, right?

She was nearly breathless, literally, when the blonde's mouth slowly made its way across her cheek. Draco kissed and nipped his way along her jaw until he reached her ear. He played with her tender earlobe for a bit, his large hands splayed across her lower back and gripping her right hip.

"Draco…what are we…oh _God_ ," she bit her lip when he dipped the tip of his tongue in her ear teasingly, the wet sensation surprising her but sending a thrill straight down south.

"You were saying," he growled near her ear as he squeezed the hip he had in his grip.

Merlin, she felt bloody fantastic! So soft and firm in all the right places. How had he ever thought badly of her growing up?

The lights of the lift brightened suddenly and they both broke apart when the old intercom buzzed with static. It was a sign that they'd soon be free in another five or ten minutes.

Draco watched as her tongue darted out to lick her swollen lips—lips he'd plumped with his thorough attention. She swallowed and, oddly, reached to straighten his tie for him where she'd mussed the silk fabric.

"At least have the decency to ask me to dinner, you loathsome prat," she muttered, her voice a bit raspy still.

If he ever wore a shit-eating grin before it was certainly now. The blonde nodded and reached up to straighten the curls he'd mussed from her prim up-do, gently moving them behind one ear.

"Oh, there will be dinner. And then dates. And then more dates." He smirked at the shy smile threatening to break through as she bit her lower lip. "You'll have to meet my parents." He thumbed her lower lip to free it from her teeth when she turned wide eyes up to him. "My father will likely be an ass because he's still an idiot but my mother will love you, partly because she's not so secretly always wanted a daughter."

Draco carefully stood with her, setting the witch on her feet in front of him, his hands still decorously placed on her person and resting easily on her waist.

"You'll introduce me to your parents," he continued, a smirk still in place. He tucked a finger under her chin to tilt her head up to face him. "And they might hate me because I doubt you've not told them about me growing up. But I'll charm them because I'm a Malfoy and it's what we do."

"And then," she urged quietly, her hands coming around his wrist to secure his gentle touch on her.

"And then…one day…you won't need to take the edge off once a week. You'll have me to take if off every," he leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips, "night."

"This is the best game of truth or dare I've ever played," she sighed when they separated.

The doors to the lift finally slid open to the atrium of the Ministry. A few people still milled around but it was quitting time so most were on their way home.

Draco grabbed his briefcase and suit jacket in one arm and held his hand out to her in the other.

"I dare you to make what I said come true."

He watched as she bit that lush lip that he was certainly nowhere near done toying with for the night. She glanced at his outstretched hand and slowly placed her own hand in it.

"Okay, but dinner first," she smiled.

Draco brought the hand in his up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Deal."


	24. Birthday

Miss me? ;) I'm still writing a multi-chapter story to share with you all. In the mean time, please enjoy this lengthy one-shot. The best ones come together in all of thirty minutes, it seems. Read and review please.

* * *

 **Birthday**

Draco burst through the loo doors and ran to the nearest stall. A white knuckled hand gripped the toilet paper dispenser as he leaned over the porcelain bowl and emptied the contents of his stomach into it.

He'd not wretched so hard since he'd taken a bludger to the head fifth year in quidditch. Not been so disgusted and hurt since he watched them torture her on his drawing room floor.

However, seeing her there with Weasley—the lovesick look in that irritating ginger's eyes—after she'd sworn it was over between them—had been for over a year now. He couldn't get the sight of it out of his mind, the way the bumbling moron touched her arm and pulled her in close to his chest. Or the way she tucked in nicely, her curls brushing the idiot's chin as he held her, whispering soft words in her ear.

His past self would have hexed the git on the spot. Hexed him and laughed about it later. Now…all he could think about was how she'd look at him if he did. That look of disappointment she gave him whenever he insulted her friends or took a joke too far. He'd come so far in no longer disappointing her. Tried so hard to be himself but better—a man she'd want to spend her time with—maybe her life with.

It wasn't enough.

That much was clear.

He didn't give her time to catch up with him as he exited the men's loo, heard multiple sets of footsteps scrambling down the Magical Law Enforcement's hallway.

If he'd only shown up a few minutes before to surprise her for her birthday, maybe he'd have stopped it from happening. But then what was happening behind his back? How long had they been sneaking around with them working together and him oblivious running his company on the other side of London?

He was through the doors and into the floos of the atrium before he could take in her shouting, pathetic screeching of the ginger idiot and Saint Potter.

What had he been thinking in pursuing that witch in the first place? They were too different. She'd always thought herself better than him anyway and he knew she was.

Except he didn't cheat.

How weak he'd become to let Hermione Granger play with his heart.

~o~O~o~

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," Hermione mumbled repeatedly as she shivered, watched the green flames envelop him before he was gone.

Ron finally caught up, panting as he crouched with both hands on his knees. Harry, too, was there at her side now, adjusting his glasses which had slid down his nose in the rush.

"It'll be alright, Hermione," Harry assured her, a comforting hand landing on her shoulder.

Hermione whirled around so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash, a finger pointed dangerously at her friend.

"No, it will not, Harry! This is Draco we're talking about. He doesn't give second chances."

"That's…" Ron spoke between breaths, "because he's still a bloody prick."

"It's because he doesn't trust people," she ground out, a severe look set in her darkening brown eyes. "Would you after all the lying and scheming his father did during the war?"

"He loves you," Harry argued. "He'll talk to you after he's had a chance to sort it out in his head."

"No, he won't!" She glared at the small crowd that had stopped to watch the display. "Don't you all have better things to do? Hm? Like work!"

Harry watched, wide-eyed, as the crowd quickly dispersed and then turned back to find her still seething at Ron.

"Ugh," she groaned. "Of all the times for me to talk about my feelings and the only one around to listen was you, Ronald."

"Hey," he cried, standing to his full height again now that he'd caught his breath. He really needed to work out more. "I listened when we dated."

Harry shot him an incredulous look at that comment. "I do believe it was a large reason the two of you decided to be just friends—your lack of interest in the things she liked to discuss and vice versa."

Ron frowned at that and glanced at her hesitantly. "Would it help if I go and tell the prick that we were talking about him?"

"Not bloody likely," she mumbled, arms coming around herself in a hug as she turned back to the floo he'd disappeared in. "He still thinks you have feelings for me."

Ron snorted at that and she turned another glare on him. He held his hands up then in a placating gesture and stepped back a step.

"Just go after him and tell him what you told me," Ron offered. He sighed when she turned a wary glance towards him and slumped his shoulders. "Maybe I saw the git behind you and hugged you just to piss him off a bit."

Her brown eyes widened at his admission and he quickly stepped behind Harry. "I'm sorry, okay? It was immature and I admit it. But he stole you from me and it's still a sore spot, alright?"

She scoffed but her wand remained pocketed in her skirt. "Oh please! How did he steal me when we'd been broken up for over a year?"

"And he'd been eyeing you even before we broke up! Don't deny it!"

Hermione rolled her eyes but sighed. "Perhaps he was interested in me even then but he had enough integrity not to go after me when I was still seeing you. Don't you think that deserves some credit?"

Ron held up his thumb and forefinger, the slightest bit of space between them. "Maybe just a little. But only a little!"

Harry shook his head at the two of them and began pushing Hermione forcibly towards the floos. "Go after the git before he decides to do something stupid."

Uncertain about just what Draco would do, she couldn't disagree. She couldn't let him dwell too long without clearing up this misunderstanding or the damage would set in.

She looked at his office across town but his secretary said he'd not returned. She knocked on the door of his townhome but he wasn't there either.

That left the manor.

She loathed the manor.

Loathed his mother.

Narcissa Malfoy had not been too thrilled the first time her son had brought her around for a proper introduction three months into their relationship. She'd thankfully not spouted any soliloquies about blood purity but the look of distaste she'd given Hermione when she showed up at Draco's side for afternoon tea was enough to tell her that she wasn't thrilled with his choice.

Of course, Draco assured her that it wasn't her but that his mother didn't approve of any woman he'd attempted to date. In fact, she'd scared the two others he'd been stupid enough to bring home off, effectively limiting his dating history to her and Astoria Greengrass who he'd come to loathe after she transformed into a royal bitch after his money when she thought he might be interested in marriage. And he wasn't. Hermione Granger had come back into his attention after a Ministry function and he'd been done for ever since—or so he'd told her.

So when Hermione finally stood in front of that intimidating arched doorway, heels barely managing to stay stable on the narrow marble steps, she thought she might vomit from the mere idea of speaking to his mother. Especially if he'd insinuated that she'd hurt him in any way.

She swallowed when she knocked and brought her hands in front of her, wringing them incessantly.

The heavy oak door creaked open and Jip appeared in front of her, large round eyes bright and pleased to see her.

"H-hi, Jip," she stuttered, cursing herself as she did, "I was looking for Draco. Is he here?"

Jip didn't get a chance to respond before he was ushered away quietly and Narcissa stepped into the doorway.

The blonde witch eyed her from head to toe and Hermione was for once thankful to still be in her work attire. Her skirt suit was likely better than her jeans in Narcissa Malfoy's opinion.

"He's here, Miss Granger. It begs the question—why are you?"

Hermione gulped against the desert in her throat and felt her jaw twitch. "Well—I…"

The woman lifted a manicured eyebrow and nodded encouragingly for her to continue.

Her brown eyes widened in recognition then as she realized she was too late. He'd already told her everything—the scene he'd witness which wasn't at all what it looked like.

She deflated then as her eyes flicked down to her shoes. "I didn't—"

"I know," Narcissa nodded, expression less intense as before and…softening?

"Y-you do?"

"If there's one thing I've gathered about you, Miss Granger, it's that you are a witch of the utmost integrity. Cheating is beneath you, even if Draco doesn't see it at the moment. Once he comes back to reason he'll see how silly he's being."

Utterly baffled, Hermione shook her head as if to loosen the contents within. Was she actually…being encouraging?

"Pardon me, Mrs. Malfoy, but I was under the impression that you don't like me. How is that you're not taking this opportunity to tear me to shreds?"

Narcissa snorted.

Snorted!

"Oh dear, if I didn't like you as you believe I'd have made sure you were long gone before now. Especially now."

Hermione had no idea what she meant by that but followed the witch when she stepped aside to usher her in.

"He's in the drawing room. We'll discuss this once you've fixed this minor misunderstanding."

Narcissa didn't wait around and merely sauntered off down the nearest hallway.

Hermione glanced around the spacious foyer, marveling at how little the place looked as she remembered from during the war.

He was exactly where his mother said he'd be. A glass of firewhiskey in one hand, the other in his pocket that appeared to be fiddling with something as he gazed out at the back gardens through the floor to ceiling window.

"Draco," she started hesitantly.

She saw his throat bob as he swallowed and gently set his drink on the nearby table. His other hand thrust into his pocket and he stood rigid.

"What, Hermione? Come to twist the knife?"

She didn't like how eerily calm he appeared. Where was the fire and anger?

"It wasn't what you think, I—"

"I don't care."

Ever the Gryffindor, she pushed forward and stepped further in the room. "Yes, you do." She stopped a few feet at his side and eyed his drink on the table, half empty. "You really shouldn't drink on an empty stomach you know."

Draco turned to her then, dark grey eyes storming with indecision as they roved over her slight form. He was still half a head taller than her even in her heels.

"Must you order everyone around all the time?"

She gave a helpless shrug, a slight twitch of her lips as they tried to form a smile. "Habit."

"He still loves you."

She shook her head, curls flailing at her shoulders. "No, he doesn't. I don't know that he ever did. Why do you think he wasn't my first?"

Draco drew a deep breath at that. That was true at least. He'd been her first, and her only his second.

"It's not like that. Never has been. Ron's just…stupid sometimes." He snorted but she pushed on anyway. "He still isn't too fond of you and he likes making you angry. He admitted as much today. He saw you watching us, when I didn't, and hugged me because he could. I was upset though."

His pale brows drew together at that and he withheld the urge to go to her. Not yet. "Why?"

Hermoine licked her lips and finally broke eye contact. She was scared to death to admit this, hadn't known how to do so and keep her pride in tact if it didn't work.

"Because…I want to," she took a deep breath, eyes still trained on a slight imperfection in the rug, "I want to marry you yet despite our talks and my hinting you haven't asked. I thought about asking you but…well Gryffindor courage doesn't apply to every situation."

When she finally had the courage to look up again, she met Draco's eyes first. Their grey having lightened to that of dark rain clouds. However, his outstretched hand drew her attention and what it held.

It wasn't how he'd planned it but best laid plans don't always pan out. With one hand still in his pocket, Draco held out the box with the engagement ring he'd been carrying around for months now.

The solitaire, three carat diamond caught the faint sunlight filtering in through the window and she felt faint.

"Will you then," he asked.

She swallowed, her breathing coming faster and shallower. She eyed the emerald cut ring and then him. She couldn't speak, couldn't form words. A nod would have to do.

Draco dropped his hand then and finally pulled her to him. His mouth came crashing down to hers with more intensity than she'd ever felt from him. Despite the urgency, his lips were gentle, searching and tugging as he drank her in.

She had to pull away after a few moments more to catch her breath. She released a breathy laugh as she rested her forehead against his chest, panting to gather more oxygen. She felt his broad hands press into her, one between her shoulder blades and the other at the small of her back as he tightened his hold on her.

"I want to elope," he whispered huskily at her ear.

She pulled back far enough to see him.

"We'll have a wedding but I can't take another minute without waking up to you every day. Please?"

She reached up finally to frame his face in both hands, "Yes, for Merlin's sake yes!"

Hermione was too busy watching him slip the ring onto her finger to notice his mother joining them.

"Oh good, you've cleared the air and she said yes."

Draco held her brown gaze, dark promises in his eyes as he lifted her hand to press a kiss on the knuckles just above her new accessory.

"That she did."

"Wonderful, now perhaps she can get over her silly notion that I don't like her."

Hermione turned to find the witch watching them, face still rather blank, but a warmth in her blue eyes that she'd not noticed before.

"He's happier than I've ever seen him before, Miss Granger. That in itself is worth earning my approval."

"Mother's not exactly the warmest person but she's loyal," Draco offered quietly at her ear.

"Clearly," Hermione muttered, slightly dumbfounded by the revelation.

Narcissa sighed and shook her head. "Go on then. I know you planned to elope with her but do realize you're not getting out of a proper wedding. I do believe her parents, and myself, would like to see a ceremony—not to mention she might like it as well."

"Oh, we know," Draco promised.

Hermione nearly lost her lunch when he apparated them away without warning.

Later that night she assured him that she'd never had a better birthday.

Again, and again, and again.


	25. Fruition

Occasionally I reread some of these and an idea sparks. This one is meant to be read as a follow-up to the Blind Date standalone but could be easily read as it's own story. I just had to write this Draco. Snarky, wicked, and loving-at his best. I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review. :)

* * *

 **Fruition**

"Out of my way," Draco grumbled. "Man with a baby! Move it, Finnegan!"

Everyone in the Regulation of Magical Creatures Department watched as the blonde plowed his way through those gathered in the hallway. Some watched with wide-eyed expressions as he held the infant to his chest in her muggle carrier.

Her friends had been rather shocked when he first appeared at a social gathering wearing the contraption. However, he'd not cared one whit what anyone thought. His mother-in-law had bought the thing for him and he found it quite convenient to strap their daughter in and continue about his day. It was proving to make his efforts at being a stay-at-home father a breeze.

Ministry employees moved out of his way, women were cooing over the honey blonde curls peaking over the top of the carrier and men were smirking.

Ever the Malfoy, Draco strutted with confidence to his wife's office and wasn't disappointed when he found her door open and her seated behind her desk. He scowled however when he spotted the ginger nuisance that just wouldn't take a hike.

"Draco," Hermione smiled brightly when she saw him.

She quickly stood to greet him. She leaned up on her toes to kiss him first and then sunk back on her heels to kiss their daughter's forehead.

"I've tried everything. She won't take the bottle again," he informed her, his eyes darting down to her chest pointedly.

"Oh," she nodded and began helping him unfasten her from the carrier.

"What's the matter," Ron asked curiously, rising from his seat to get a look at their daughter. "Nice accessory there, Malfoy," he grinned.

Draco wanted to wipe the smile right off the git's face. "At least I'm man enough to wear it, Weaslebee."

"Draco," Hermione admonished softly as she took their daughter into her arms and began making her way back to her desk with her.

"Oh, so it's fine when he mocks me for wearing it when all I'm trying to do is support my wife's career and take care of our daughter."

Ron rolled his eyes at him. "Oh please—"

"Ronald, I'd recommend you don't take us down that road again," she warned.

True enough as soon as they'd begun dating, the ginger had given them both an equally difficult time. He couldn't for the life of him understand why Hermione would be interested in Draco Malfoy when she'd broken up with him over gender roles.

 _"The Malfoys are the epitome of old and stuffy gender roles!"_ He'd argued.

Hermione had merely rolled her eyes and informed him that perhaps not all of the Malfoy family was quite so out of date as his was.

When they'd married after just three months he'd gotten pissed drunk at their reception and nearly ruined the bloody cake.

When she'd announced her pregnancy six months later he'd gotten pissed drunk and grumbled to anyone who would listen at the gathering that it should have been his child.

Needless to say, their friendship was still recovering.

Ron frowned but ultimately sighed and nodded.

"Weasley," Draco interrupted, "as much as I so _love_ your presence, do be kind and get lost so my wife can feed our daughter."

"It's not like I haven't seen them before," he retorted stupidly.

Hermione's brown eyes widened a fraction and she shot him a rather perturbed look.

Draco sighed as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, trying the count to ten technique she'd taught him. It wasn't working very well.

"Weasley, while I do so enjoy you reminding me of your failed romantic efforts with my wife…get lost!"

Ron barely had time to sputter out an apology before he was pushed out the door and it slammed behind him.

Draco groaned as he took up the seat now vacated and watched as Hermione began unbuttoning her blouse. He relaxed however when she readjusted and their daughter calmed considerably as she latched onto her breast.

"I do see why he'd want to watch," he smirked.

Hermione glanced up at him and rolled her eyes pointedly. "Men," she muttered.

Marriage to Draco was far better than she ever could have imagined. Just as he'd suggested on their blind date, he was quite enamored with her from the start. He went above and beyond to please her. Falling in love with him had been easy.

As she watched him unstrap the carrier from himself, she remembered exactly why she'd chosen him in the end.

He believed in her. Was so far gone in love with her that he was more than thrilled at the prospect of making his stay-at-home father claims become reality. As he liked to remind her, they were loaded and he didn't need to work anyway. He handed the reins of his company over to Blaise in the interim and would return to regular work after they enrolled their daughter in muggle primary school as Hermione wished to do.

Occasionally, she'd allow herself to imagine what life would have been like had she settled for Ron. She'd likely be at home right now with twins screaming on either shoulder why he sat in his office with Harry lazing about while he 'made the money'. The mere thought made her stomach churn.

Watching Draco's domestic side emerge after they married and she gave birth did something to her. She hadn't imagined it would be possible to increase her attraction to the man but it certainly did.

"Draco?"

His head snapped up from the report he was glancing at on her desk. "Yes, love?"

The endearment and the sincerity behind it made her smile slightly and she glanced down at the baby in her arms. Those honey curls, a product of the mixing of both their genes, warmed her heart further. It was the best thing either of them had ever done.

"Are you cooking tonight?"

"Whatever you want, Sweetheart," he answered automatically.

On the outside it might seem like an unbalanced relationship but she positively adored him and made certain that he knew it. It was far more than he ever wanted and balanced his efforts in their marriage perfectly.

"Chicken marsala," she asked hopefully.

He smirked, a knowing look ghosting his face. It was the first meal he'd ever cooked her and likely the catalyst for her blurting out that she loved him right afterwards. It was a special meal for them both. Hermione usually requested it when she was feeling rather sentimental.

"Of course, I'll make a stop for the ingredients on the way home."

Her daughter was done soon enough and she handed her back to her husband as she buttoned up again. After their daughter released a small burp, he secured her against his chest again.

Hermione walked with him to her door and stood on her toes to kiss him again. Her lips moved to his ear before she pulled away and she whispered, "Perhaps after dinner, you and I can have dessert?"

His answering grin could only be described as wicked.


	26. Hermione

In honor of _19 years later_ and the first day back to Hogwarts, I thought I'd give you all the tiniest peek at a _much_ longer one shot that I hope to post sometime during the long weekend I have off from work. My longer, multi-chapter story is still in the works and 3/4 of the way finished. I hope to begin posting it in the coming months. In the mean time, enjoy this little taste. More to come later. Much love to you all for continuing to read and comment on my stories. I truly love these characters and J.K. Rowling is just the most amazing person ever for creating this wonderful world of magic. :)

* * *

 **Hermione**

" _Hermione_ ," he moaned near her ear.

He always said her name during sex. Always said it in a way that made her stomach clench and her toes curl. It always came out somewhere between a moan and a growl.

She had her head turned to the side, pressing into the luxurious pillows under it while his lips trailed along her ear hotly. His right hand grazed her thigh as he hitched her leg higher over his hips, his other arm holding him shakily as he continued to roll his hips in hypnotic thrusts allowing him to hit that perfect spot inside her.

She couldn't stop her moans and grunts as her body shifted under him with every thrust. He was rough but gentle all at once and the sensation made her head spin.

She couldn't think straight when they made love. Could hardly manage verbal responses besides _yes, faster, more,_ and his name. He loved the fact that he drove the normally articulate witch nearly incoherent. But he loved it when she said his name the most.

She knew by the way he kissed her. The hot, languid kisses that sent her heart racing and her body humming.

" _Uhh_ ," she grunted after a particularly good thrust and dug her nails into his shoulders, " _Draco_ …so close…"

He wasn't a cruel man, despite his reputation at work, and released his hold on her thigh to move between their bodies.

One final thrust and he sent them both over the edge together. That all-consuming warmth flooded her body and she released one final moan before sighing as she melted into the bed.

He remained on top of her, his forehead pressed to hers as they lay panting. His lips sought her mouth for their post-lovemaking kiss. He kissed her slowly for a few moments before he released her mouth and rolled off her to rest at her side.

Hermione had to wait only for a few moments before he rolled over and nudged her to her side. He scooted until his chest was pressed firmly to her back and held her snugly. It was a substitute to their usual position. He preferred pulling her on top of him to rest on his chest after sex but her stomach was now in the way.

A slow, contented smile curved her lips as her eyes began to drift closed. It was amazing that this is where they were a year after she'd signed the marriage contract. She'd never have imagined it would be possible to fall in love with Draco Malfoy.

 _"I love you"_ was the last thing she heard before sleep took her.


	27. Sweet Tooth

**Sweet Tooth**

He was exhausted when he emerged in their floo that evening. A minor part of him hoped she wasn't home yet, that she'd gone to the Potters for a bit and maybe he might have some peace and quiet after such a hellacious day at the office.

He tossed his robes and briefcase down on the nearby chair in the living room and quietly crept through the house. His shoulders stiffened when he heard her voice, soft and quiet.

He stopped cold in the doorway of their kitchen and watched.

Hermione stood with her back to him as she faced the stovetop. Their two year old son was cradled on her hip as she managed multiple spells to stir a couple of pots and clean the dishes at the same time. He watched as their son sighed, his eyes closed contentedly as he rested in his mother's arms. That shock of pale blonde hair fell over his eyes in gentle waves mirroring the merging of both of their genes and he knew if the boy opened his eyes he'd be treated to a replica of his wife's chocolate brown eyes.

Draco slouched against the doorframe as he watched the quaint scene in front of him, his head lolling to rest against the cool wood and a slight smirk tilting his lips.

Hermione had shucked her heels and was left standing in her skirt suit as she managed their child in one arm and her wand in the other.

"Merlin, help me if he comes home in a bloody snit again," she muttered to herself. She grunted as she adjusted Scorpius against her shoulder, shifting the child until she had her arm under his bottom more securely. "You're getting too heavy for me, sweetheart," she spoke fondly to the sleeping boy.

Draco shook his head at himself. She was right; he'd been letting his stress at work get to him and he'd been guilty of bringing it home with him lately. She didn't deserve his leftover irritation. Especially not when she'd allowed him her body last night to relieve some of his stress. And Merlin, sex with her was incredible!

 _My wife is a bloody saint_ , he snarked to himself. Granted, he should have expected no less of marrying one third of the golden trio.

"Hermione," he finally called, announcing his presence.

The witch turned to face him, a hesitant smile on her face when he approached her. She tipped her head back to accept his gentle kiss.

"Give me Scorpius and I'll finish dinner," he smiled as he brushed stray curls back behind her ear. Her messy up-do was proving to have called it a day.

"I know you've been stressed," she noted and shifted their son when he turned his head in his sleep. "I'm fine really. I can finish dinner while you change."

Draco shook his head and reached for the toddler in her arms. "No, I'm suddenly feeling much more relaxed. Go soak in the bath for a while. Dinner will be ready when you're done."

He lifted a challenging brow when she chewed her lip in thought but ultimately rolled her eyes and carefully shifted their son into his arms.

"Molly told me he hasn't felt well today," she noted softly as she brushed the boy's hair back.

A part of Draco cringed at that. He certainly appreciated Molly Weasley taking care of their son along with all of her biological grandchildren while they worked. With Hermione's parents gone and his mother and father never having truly accepted her, the Weasleys were like family.

"Did he eat too much of her cake again," he smirked.

Hermione laughed lightly and shrugged. "Probably. You know he has your sweet tooth."

"My sweet tooth has served me quite well," he teased, pressing a pointed kiss to her forehead.

She rolled her eyes at him even though she smiled. "I won't be long. Thank you."

Draco nodded as he watched her form as she retreated up the stairs, her hips swaying in that gentle rhythm he loved so much. "Sweet tooth, indeed." He glanced around the kitchen at all of the tasks she still had in motion and shook his head. "Bloody woman domesticated me after all."


	28. The Auction

This little one shot is inspired by an episode of Full House. It's on Hulu in the US now! I hope you enjoy it. :)

* * *

 **The Auction**

Merlin help her but she didn't know why she'd agreed to help organize this blasted event. It had been Angelina Johnson's idea to auction off dates with eligible bachelors in the wizarding community in an attempt to raise funds for their Magical Creature Rehabilitation program. The program mostly functioned to help rehab abused house elves and other magical creatures and ease them into their new lives amongst the magical community. They'd had an excellent start yet funds were dwindling after the initial interest died down.

Of course, that was how it went in the magical world. Everything was so trendy and it annoyed Hermione to no end. It was exactly how she found herself stuck organizing a rather shallow event all so that they could promote more interest in the cause and get more money funneling into the organization. And as a Ministry employee, she was obligated by contract to work on at least one event per year, regardless of her personal interest in it.

She'd scowled at the list of potential bachelors to auction off a date with when Angelina had presented it to her. It was her job to convince them to participate.

 _Dean Thomas_

 _Oliver Wood_

 _Ernie Macmillan_

 _Neville Longbottom_

 _Ron Weasley_

Her heart stuttered.

 _Draco Malfoy_

Oh no. No, no, no, no.

She loathed having to work with him enough as it was and even more so loathed to admit that the prick had worked his way under her skin over the last six years since the war.

Refined, aristocratic, arrogant, intelligent, sarcastic—all words that could still be used to described him. However, he no longer took joy in torturing her. His teasing now came laced with naughty little innuendos designed just to make her turn red with anger or blush to her roots.

He was never serious. Never truly interested but seemed to take great pleasure in getting a different sort of rise out of her.

Yet he was rather odd about it. Cormac McLaggen, a fellow auror, had tried to join in once over lunch in the Ministry cafeteria and Malfoy lit into him quite extravagantly about making women, namely _her_ , uncomfortable. He seemed to believe that her discomfort and embarrassment belonged to him and him alone.

 _Bloody git_.

She hated her ill-advised attraction to the idiot, convinced it was entirely physical. She'd always been rather attracted to tall men and he'd packed on a bit of muscle with the auror training.

Ron and Harry had no idea but Ginny had realized her crush early on and couldn't stop grinning about it. Hermione had to threaten to tell Harry about Ginny's rather naughty slip during the night before their wedding about a certain past desire to shag another Slytherin. That had shut the redhead right up and Hermione's secret had been safe since.

She absolutely wanted to rip Malfoy's head off when she visited him in his office to request his participation in the event.

The smug smirk and the way he'd crossed his arms over his chest as he eyed her from head to toe made her so angry she was surprised she didn't accidentally set his report on fire.

"Granger, I had no idea you fancied me enough to think to include me," he'd drawled.

"I didn't make the list," she hissed. "I'm merely the poor soul responsible for obtaining the participants."

However, he'd agreed with a wink and sent her on her way.

Now there she sat at the table nearest the stage with her friends, watching as the auction raised far more money that she'd ever thought capable.

Apparently, nothing brought out the galleons more than attractive, available men.

Ron turned red as a tomato when Pansy Parkinson bid an impressive 1000 galleons for him. The wolf whistles that provoked caused much laughter at Hermione's table.

"Did you know Parkinson had a thing for him," Ginny asked discreetly, fighting laughter at the look on her brother's face as the dark-haired witch dragged him from the stage saucily.

Hermione fought another surge of laughter and shook her head as she dabbed at the corner of her eyes. She'd nearly been in tears. Poor Ron, he'd begged her to bid on him and now she knew why.

"Hadn't a clue," she admitted. "Though that explains the mystery chocolates that have been appearing in his office all month."

"And next up," Angelina grinned as she eyed her program, "Draco Malfoy!"

Ginny elbowed Hermione discreetly and couldn't help but smirk when she scowled in return.

Draco drew himself to his full height as he marched up to the small stage and stood casually next to Angelina with his hands in his trouser pockets. He'd opted against dress robes for the evening and set himself apart in a charcoal three piece muggle suit. Women were balancing on the edge of their seats as they ogled him openly.

Draco looked completely unaffected by the attention and scanned the crowd until he spotted her. His eyes scanned her form and he winked.

"Bloody git," Hermine muttered to herself.

She really did despise her physical attraction to him. His eyes were no longer cold when he looked her way and he licked his full lips far too often to be appropriate during Ministry meetings.

Hermione groaned as he stood smirking next to Angelina as she listed off his many good qualities. (He was quite well reformed after all.) She slumped in her chair, not caring if her dress wrinkled in the process.

"Charitable, intelligent, and well-read, ladies. Draco here plays in the Ministry intramural quidditch league and spends his free time researching rare potions as a hobby. Grab this one fast!"

He'd seen her upon entering the venue earlier and made sure to comment on the cut of Hermione's dress.

"Magical double-sided tape, Granger," he'd smirked, eyes trained on the dip in fabric between her breasts.

She'd merely given him a rude hand gesture and retreated to her table. She then cursed Ginny for convincing her to wear the dress.

"We'll start the bidding at…200 galleons."

Many women, and a few men, lifted their hands eagerly at the prospect. Draco rolled his eyes and slowly scanned the crowd until he spotted Hermione.

She gulped when he caught her eyes again and felt herself flush feverishly when his smirk widened. He lifted an arrogant brow and she merely huffed as she averted her gaze.

"Do I have…500 galleons?"

A few hands lowered but most stayed stretched high and waving.

"I don't get the appeal," Harry muttered with a shake of his head. "He's still a git."

"With a nice body and good teeth," Ginny laughed. She rolled her eyes when Harry's eyes widened and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Good thing I don't like blondes."

Mollified, he merely rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the stage.

The bidding continued to 1500 galleons and only a few hands remained in the air.

"2000 galleons," a witch called out confidently.

Everyone's heads whipped around to find Astoria Greengrass standing confidently a table over with her hands on her hips and a seductive smile.

Hermione swallowed hard and glanced back to the stage to check Draco's reaction. His grey eyes seemed to have widened slightly and his smirk faltered.

She knew very well that his mother had been trying to set him up with the witch lately and for some reason he'd not committed yet.

Bile rose in her throat when she considered the two of them standing next to each other. Perfectly suited, Astoria was tall and blonde and the most men's wet dream. They'd pair nicely and make gorgeous children together.

She made Hermione look like a dull little mouse.

Hot jealousy suddenly wrapped around her gut and it happened before she realized what she was doing.

"2500 galleons."

She didn't stand but her embarrassment was already upon her as her subconscious took control of the moment. She didn't dare look at Draco but knew the smug look was likely back in place as he watched the two witches duke it out.

Light twittering of conversation burst across the room and Hermione felt her stomach twist into another knot when Astoria glared at her heatedly.

"2700 galleons."

Hermione felt about ready to hyperventilate as the image of the two blondes standing side-by-side crossed through her mind again.

"3000," she spoke only loudly enough for Angelina to hear.

Astoria's mouth hung open and she quickly snapped it shut. "Ugh, I could never explain 3000 to my father, considering **_I_** could get a date with him for free. Enjoy, Granger," she sneered and rushed away from her table to the bar in a flourish.

Hermione hid her face in her hands as the crowd clapped and cheered.

"Not a word," she muttered to Ginny threateningly.

Poor Harry looked fairly confused but Ginny just looked extremely pleased.

Draco left the stage and rounded to their table where he stood next to her. People were now focusing on the food that was arriving at the tables via levitating trays.

"Well, well, well, Granger," he drawled.

"Oh do shut up, Malfoy," she whined pitifully as she reached for a large gulp of her drink.

She just wanted to kick his arrogant ass if truth be told. What had possessed her to do that?!

She squeaked when she felt his hand on her arm, jerking her to stand before him.

"No, I think I'll feel entirely smug now that I finally get what I want and without any of the work."

She had no time to question his statement before the blonde wrapped a strong arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. His lips pressed hotly to hers. Her gasp afforded him the opportunity to sneak his tongue past her lips and inside to stroke hers sensually.

Hermione lost her sense of reason when he did that and melted against his chest. She'd fantasized about snogging him for quite some time, sure that he'd be wonderful at it and she wasn't disappointed. She reached up with a hesitant hand and threaded her fingers through the short, silky hair at the base of neck. Merlin, even his hair was wonderful.

He sucked and nibbled at her bottom lip before finally pulled back much too soon for her liking.

Draco loosened his grip on her waist and felt her sink to her heels again.

She shook her head, glossy curls bouncing around her shoulders with her half-up do. "Malfoy, what—?"

Draco smirked down at her and brushed some curls behind her ear before leaning down to whisper. "Astoria couldn't have me for free but you could have." He pulled back to see her expression and wasn't disappointed as her chocolate eyes went wide. "I'll pay your donation of course."

Hermione nodded, dumbfounded and retook her seat as he guided her to it before he took the seat next to her. Draco stretched an arm across the back of her chair and grinned.

"So, Potters, looks like we'll be seeing much more of each other now that I've finally got Granger's attention."

Harry's left eye started twitching and Ginny snorted loudly.

Hermione, to her credit, warmed considerably when Draco leaned over and kissed her cheek right at the moment when Astoria returned to her table. The witch pouted rather pitifully and turned to put her back to them.

"Thanks for saving me from _that_ as well."

Hermione bit her lip as she tried to contain her smile.


	29. Used

**Used**

She came to him whenever the arse upset her again. Encouraged his teasing, his suggestive comments. Whatever would upset the ginger oaf the most. She relished his flirting whenever she knew it would benefit her, used it as her payback for the years of bullying he'd given her.

He put up with it for a number of years. Flirted and pissed Weasley off to no end at countless Ministry events. He thought one day she'd wise up and leave the idiot but after dating him for three years and no change, he grew tired of the games.

Tired of being used.

"What did he do this time," Draco sighed when she sidled up next to him at the bar.

The Ministry was abuzz with Christmas cheer but he felt nothing but black and Grinch-like. Damn her for making him watch that stupid muggle movie. Their ritual dinners once a month were just to irritate her boyfriend and spend some time trading intellectual conversation they couldn't get anywhere else.

 _"I am nothing like that green miscreant,"_ he'd grumbled after seeing it for the first time. She'd only smiled and shook her head dismissively.

Hermione took up the bar stool next to him and leaned back against the bar as they sat together looking over the crowd.

"He's been flirting with that bint in accounting."

Draco snorted and waved the bartender over so he could order her a drink. Once she had a glass of wine in hand, he continued.

"And you're surprised? I know you Gryffindors value loyalty but that git is loyal to no one but himself and maybe Potter as a close second."

Hermione groaned and sipped her wine. "I just don't know how he can be so oblivious."

"He's Weasley," he shrugged. "Not the sharpest quill in the box."

She cringed and edged closer to him. "Shit, he's watching us now."

Draco scanned the crowd and spotted the redheaded nuisance. His face was turning the usual shades of red and he looked about ready to do something characteristically stupid. The Weasel absolutely hated that they'd reconciled years of adolescent bickering in favor of odd friendship of sorts. That was originally why Draco played along with her.

He glanced at the woman next to him, sighing as he eyed her attire for the first time. Her dress was a gorgeous cream color, cut decorously to show just enough of her back and shoulders to entice without giving it all away. Hair up in an intentionally messy do and curls threatening to rebel, she was utterly perfect.

 _Weasley's a moron._

"Not tonight, Granger. Find someone else to piss him off for you," he sighed as he sipped his drink.

Hermione looked up at him in surprise, mouth parted to retort but she stopped herself. "What?"

"I'm just a bit tired of being used. Alright? Even I have my limits. I know there's nothing I'll ever be able to do to pay off my debt to you for making your life hell growing up but…just not tonight. I can't do it."

"Draco," she shook her head, at an odd loss for words. After a moment she composed her thoughts enough to speak. "I'm sorry. You're right. I have used you to make him angry. I just didn't realize it bothered you so much. I thought you liked irritating him still."

He shrugged as he scanned the crowd again. Potter was actually dancing, rather reluctantly, with his wife for once. Weasley was back to flirting with the blonde bint from accounting.

"It gets a bit frustrating watching such an amazing woman continue to lower herself to that level. You're better than that, Granger. Just dump the idiot and move on. Half the men here would give their wand just for a date with you."

Hermione stared in awe. Stared for so long that he finally turned to her to question her silence.

"You just…you called me amazing." Her eyes closed as she shook herself before she reopened them to find him watching her nervously. "Malfoy…Draco…"

"I'm allowed to change," he noted quietly. "I'm allowed to finally see what's been under my nose all along."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded before turning to scan the crowd again. After a few moments of silence between them interrupted only by the sounds of holiday music and chattering she turned to him abruptly.

"You're right. I need to end this."

Draco lifted his drink in mock salute. "Hooray," he muttered drily.

"But I want a date with you, not any of them," she added.

That caught his attention and he turned to face her, a curious brow lifted high.

"Don't give me that look," she huffed. "You've grown out of your stupid prejudices and you know we get along well now. You like talking to me and I think you've been curious about us, too."

"Granger."

"I know I'm not exactly what your mother would want but I think I could win her over if we worked out."

"Granger."

"And Harry and Ginny would be happy that I'd be done complaining about Ron. Truthfully, Ginny's been urging me to end it for ages now."

" _Granger_."

"Harry would get used to you. I'm sure of it. He admitted the other day that you're quite competent at your job. I think—"

Hermione didn't get to finish her sentence as he silenced her with his lips. She sighed when he pulled back from the chaste but intense kiss, their lips separating with a soft smack. His hand was still cradling her chin when she opened her eyes and met his grey stare. His smirk was ever annoying.

"Go break it off and we'll get out of here. I'll take you on a real date. One where you don't pay your half of the meal and I walk you home instead of asking you to apparate to save me the trouble."

She nodded mutely and hurried off into the crowd.

Once she returned, he spied Weasley turning a new shade of red as he argued by the buffet table with his sister and her husband.

"I told Ginny," she muttered quickly, casting an annoyed look over her shoulder at them. "She said about time and pushed me off if you can believe that."

Draco gave a discreet nod to the redheaded witch who returned it with one of her own. If he'd known she was on his side all along, he'd have spoken up sooner.

"I should warn you," Draco spoke as they neared the floos. "I can be an annoyingly attentive boyfriend."

Hermione snorted and glanced up at him. "I think I'll take my chances. Perhaps I'll use you for some other things now."

His grin was wicked as he stepped into the floo behind her.


	30. Change

**A little New Year's one shot to ring in 2018. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Change**

Daphne's New Year's party was in full swing when Draco arrived. He waited until a half hour after the start time not to be fashionably late but with hopes that he could slip in unnoticed. He greeted the host and nodded his greetings to others they worked with at the Ministry as he picked a random drink from the set up bar and made his way through the crowd.

After greeting the appropriate number of people so he could say he was social, he made his way to the nearby balcony and pushed through the double doors to gain some air.

Draco saw her leaning against the brick of the modern balcony and flinched internally. "Sorry, Granger," he muttered. "Didn't realize anyone was out here."

Hermione glanced at him in the dim lighting and shrugged, a faint smile on her lips. "It's fine, Malfoy. You can stay."

He nodded his thanks and took a small sip of his drink but cringed. He'd never cared much for drinking. The fire that burned his throat just didn't do anything for him. However, he hadn't been sure what else to do with himself at these horrible stints in holiday purgatory so he'd always grabbed a glass, milled around a bit, and then looked for a temporary escape. If he could stay out here long enough, he could say he'd come and stayed a while before it was socially acceptable to make his exit.

He hadn't planned on meeting his former school rival out here. The one he'd not spoken more than two words to in the last four years, despite passing each other in the Ministry halls. A simple nod of acknowledgement seemed to have been the form of communication they'd settled on and he'd been fine with that.

"Not one for holiday parties then," he asked after a moment of silence. Somehow he didn't feel right just standing there ignoring her. Odd as that was. There was once a time when he'd have been happy to ignore her.

Hermione turned to face him then and shrugged. "I don't like crowds really. It feels fake."

He nodded to himself. "I can understand that. I only came because Daphne strong-armed me into it."

The witch had the nerve to laugh at him and he looked at her again, pale brows lifted high.

"I'm sorry but someone strong-armed _you_ into doing something. A bit difficult to believe, Malfoy."

He frowned and turned back to the expanse of stars ahead of them. Daphne's flat was far enough on the edge of London that the lamplight of the neighborhood didn't actually obscure the night sky.

"She can be quite persuasive when she wants to be. I don't recommend crossing her when she's determined."

"She has dirt on you, doesn't she?"

Her smirk caused him to chuckle lightly. "She was in Slytherin. What do you think?"

Hermione turned back to the stars as well. "Well, I've learned you're not all bad. We've all grown up a bit."

Draco watched her from the corner of his eyes. Her untamable curls were quite well behaved tonight. Honestly, he'd noticed her before now. Noticed how she'd grown into that mess of hair, those lovely brown eyes, and her slender but curvy figure which tonight was dressed decorously in a cream colored, form fitting dress.

Yes, he'd noticed. But she wasn't for him.

"I um…" he set his drink aside finally, interest totally lost. "I don't think I've ever formally said it, Granger, but…I'd like to apologize to you. I'm sorry for…everything."

He avoided her gaze even when he felt those inquisitive brown eyes turn towards him. He felt like he might melt from the heat of her gaze, dissolve from his guilt that had layered over him for years.

"You were forgiven a long time ago," she finally whispered.

He looked up in surprise and met her stare. They watched each other for a few tense moments before she turned her head towards the doors. He watched her still as a faint smile curled her lips.

"I do love this song. My father used to sing it to me before bed during the holidays."

She was still smiling when she turned back to him and it wasn't grief but a wistful look filling her eyes.

He tilted his head curiously and considered the question on the tip of his tongue. "Granger, did they…I mean your parents, did they…"

She shook her head. "They made it out fine. I retrieved them from Australia and was able to restore their memories before I finished my last year at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, my dad suffered a heart attack last year and passed. Mum took it as well as could be expected but…well it's never easy."

"I'm sorry."

Hermione tilted her head this time as she observed him. Dressed in a dark grey suit, his blonde hair stood out even more. Short cropped, he thankfully looked nothing like his father. Though rumor was that he avoided any mention of Lucius.

"Thank you," she nodded. "Oddly, I think he'd have liked someone like you. Dad was awfully snarky at times." She grinned at his surprise. "But he was very warm. As soon as I could walk, he always had me dance with him to this song on during the holidays. Mum, too."

Draco considered her for a moment, still shocked that she would ever say anyone among her friends or family would like him. He reached out gently and plucked her drink from her hands before he held out a hand to her.

"If you'd allow me the honor," he offered quietly.

Hermione eyed his outstretched hand, pale and much larger than her own. After a moment, she set her hand in his and allowed him to pull her into a comfortable embrace as he swayed them gently to the soft tune still filling the night air. His hands were surprisingly warm with one at her waist and the other still clutching hers gently.

"Do you believe people can change," Hermione asked after a moment, finally able to tear her eyes from the simple but blue silk tie he was wearing.

Draco considered the question for a moment and the inquisitive look in her eyes. How he wished he'd appreciated that quality in her long ago. Perhaps then he'd not have been forced on so many dates with rich, simpering witches.

"Yes, to an extent. I think core personality traits stay consistent but behavior and values can change."

"Like the fact that you're still a sarcastic git but that you'll now entertain the company of a muggle-born?"

He swallowed and nodded. "Something like that. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged and diverted her gaze to their hands for a moment. She liked the way he held her hand. Firm but comforting, not too tight but oddly possessive.

"I don't know why I'm even talking to you about any of this."

"Objective third party," he offered.

She met his eyes again and smiled. "Something like that," she echoed him. "I'm still very close to Harry and Ron but Harry and I have noticed that Ron is…a bit different lately."

Draco bit his tongue against saying anything as he still wasn't a fan of Ron Weasley, and not just because of his family's income. He nodded instead for her to continue.

"He's just…his personality is the same as you say but he's become very detached. A bit self-absorbed I guess."

"Does this have something to do with the fact that you two broke up last year?" When she stared at him blankly, he continued, "It was in the Prophet. As much as I loathe that bleeding rag, occasionally I like working the crosswords. The front page is unavoidable."

She laughed at that and nodded. He didn't know why but he liked her laugh. It was warm and light.

"Well, he at least waited a month after my dad passed but Harry and Ginny both agreed that he should have been a bit more sensitive. He didn't want to come to the funeral as he said he wasn't comfortable with the muggle traditions. They made him, and I quote, queasy."

Draco rolled his eyes then. The song changed but luckily it was still a light tune, appropriate for gentle swaying.

"Weasley always struck me as selfish." He smirked and laughed when she lifted a brow as if to say 'really'. "Yes, and I of all people would know selfishness when I see it. But it's a real shit thing to have done, Granger. Even I would have gone for you."

"Right," she nodded, "Because it's just what you do when you're in a relationship."

"Exactly. There's to be a certain level of self-sacrifice if you're truly invested."

"Which he wasn't," she countered. She shrugged though, "It's all well in the end. I wasn't as upset as I thought I'd be when he called it off. A bit relieved really."

"Relieved?"

Hermione tipped her head again as she considered him. "I don't know why I suddenly feel the urge that I can trust you after so many years but I feel certain you won't repeat anything."

Draco shrugged and adjusted his hold on her hand. "No one to tell really. But your secrets are safe with me, Granger."

She nodded and glanced towards the night sky again. "I knew it was over when he started pressing me to make things more…physical and I wasn't interested. I guess maybe I was a bit too chicken to be the one to call things off really. So perhaps it wasn't so bad of him."

Hiding his surprise, Draco merely shrugged. "But he could have had more tact on timing, regardless of where you both were in terms of your emotions and investment."

Hermione turned back to him, a look of honest surprise on her features. Somehow, he still understood. There wasn't even a hint of judgement in his grey eyes.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there swaying with him before she stepped closer and settled her head against his shoulder finally, all pretenses of tension forgotten.

"Granger," he asked hesitantly.

"I'm just tired, Draco. You don't mind, do you?"

His eyebrows were nearly to his hairline when she uttered his given name but he shook his head and rested his hand back on the middle of her back gently. "No. Not at all."

Draco felt warm moisture seep into his navy dress shirt and knew it could only be tears. He released her hand then and moved his arms to envelop her completely. He pressed one to her back and the other at the back of her head, holding her to him firmly as he began rubbing small soothing circles on her back. He bit his lip against his slight discomfort and focused instead on how silky her curls felt which surprised him a bit.

"Thank you," she nodded with a soft sigh, her sniffles abating.

It wasn't long before they slipped out of the party quietly. Neither saw Daphne's knowing smile as she watched them leave together.

No one would ever know that it started with a dance. They'd never know that Hermione would invite him to her flat for tea and they'd spend the night talking until they quite literally passed out on her couch together. They wouldn't know that Draco kissed her before he left the next morning but only after she agreed to have dinner with him that night. And they wouldn't know the moment she knew she had fallen in love with him or the moment he decided she was the one he would marry.

But they would know that people change.


	31. Madness

**In my mind, the scene at Malfoy Manor could have changed the entire course of the rest of the last book had Draco done _anything_ different. I seem to keep coming back to it often.**

* * *

 **Madness**

"Just _stop_!"

Lucius' gaze swiveled from the scene unfolding on their darkened ballroom floor to his son who was watching from against the wall. His eyes widened at the disgust on his son's face, the quivering of his wand hand as he clutched it into a fist.

"Draco," he breathed. He meant to reprimand him for his outburst but the urge fell short.

Narcissa clung to his side, horrified but unable to do anything. This is what they'd taught their son. This is what they'd long stood for. How horrible was it to appear weak in front of him while watching their morals displayed in front of them.

"No," Bellatrix grinned evilly. She stood beside the Muggle-born girl's quivering form and with a flick of her wand jerked Hermione Granger to her feet.

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had been made to kneel at the edge of the room and watch as she tortured their friend for information. Their cries and screams had only fueled her madness, encouraged her thorough use of the cruciatus on the girl.

"Let him speak, Lucius," Bellatrix continued. She held Hermione with her back against her chest, her crooked wand pointed to her throat. "Why should we stop, Draco? What use is she?"

Draco's gut twisted at what he'd done. He'd spoken against his will to keep his mouth clamped shut.

It was sick to watch a stranger being murdered in your home for their bad blood. Twisted to watch a professor die on the table where you'd once eaten your breakfast. However, this had become personal.

He'd traded barbs with her over the years. Sneered at her, challenged her and still come up second. His connection to Hermione Granger was far more tangible than any of the others he'd watched being tortured, no matter how sick the others had made him. This was…beyond comprehension for some reason.

He _respected_ Hermione Granger. Never declared it openly but of all of those he resented and despised, she was someone that had earned his respect. There had been times when he swore that though her features clearly depicted her disdain for him, there was something else. She'd watched him. She tried to understand him when her friends hadn't. When Harry Potter was quick to assume the worst, she'd searched for an alternative explanation before quickly condemning him.

She was good. The exception to all.

And he'd secretly held a candle for her deep down. Something he'd rarely admitted to even himself.

Hermione Granger was his equal.

Draco licked his dry lips and met his crazed aunt's stare. "I care about her."

It was the truth. Even if it was either a half truth or a truth he couldn't quite comprehend yet. It was still a fact.

He chanced a look into Hermione's face and found her expression impassive but there was a twinge at her eyes, a look of shock there. He wasn't sure even she believed him.

His father's eyes widened a bit more but he bit down on his tongue. Lucius Malfoy was a coward. He was inclined to protect his son but at what cost?

His aunt's face lit with dark glee at his traitorous admission. If he weren't careful, he'd be her next plaything to torture. Possibly would already be next in line anyway now, careful or not.

It was clear that while he'd not made a romantic claim on the young witch, his aunt would take it that way. Regardless, he could think of only one thing to do.

"Prove it," Bellatrix hissed.

She shoved Hermione towards him. She stumbled, weak as she was but managed to stand just inches in front of him, meeting his stare. Her expression was blank and he couldn't get a read on whether she understood what he was trying to do and how she needed to respond.

His mother was clinging to his father's side and his father merely stared at him. However, there was a look in his eyes, perhaps he was merely imagining it but he seemed to want this to end just as badly.

Her friends were watching in shock and doubt, just waiting for him to deny it. This was clearly too far.

However, Draco had never really done a single brave thing in his entire life. If this was his last chance, he was going to take it. Life or death and he'd choose life. For someone anyway.

She was small, had always been roughly a head shorter than him and it was ever so obvious as she stood in front of him, trying desperately to control the trembling leftover from the cruciatus she'd just endured on their ballroom floor. Yet she stood as stock still as she could manage and waited. She clearly knew better than to move before he did. She was waiting for him. Whatever plan this was, it was his idea.

Draco reached out with hesitant but gentle hands and framed her cheeks. Merlin, despite the dirt and tears marring her skin she was still soft. Her brown eyes still looked watery from her tears but she met his steady gaze, ready to accept whatever he did next.

He ducked his head finally and pressed his mouth to hers. A breath escaped her against his mouth and when fire spread rapidly from their point of contact through his body, he moved one hand and wrapped an arm around her small frame. He kissed her lips once, twice, before he parted her lips with his tongue.

Smart witch that she was, she responded but let him lead. He felt small, hesitant hands lift to rest lightly against his chest as she allowed him to kiss her however he pleased.

He felt like a man possessed as he kissed the witch in front of him. He'd gone from merely wanting her pain to end to drinking her in like a man starved of water and she was his last source to quench his thirst.

His mind seemed to have slipped as he didn't seem to be able to stop himself.

The truth, the real truth he'd hidden from even himself, was that a part of him had always wanted her. He'd resented the fact that she'd not been born with better blood. As if it had been her fault.

It was when he felt her subtly bite his lip that he realized she was trying to make him focus. She couldn't very well break the kiss. It was his responsibility. It was getting to the point that he was merely indulging himself now.

Draco pulled away from her lips and avoided her curious stare, opting to press her head against his chest protectively. All for show of course.

His father looked equally alarmed and appalled. His mother appeared distraught but not disgusted. His aunt—looked positively mad.

"Oh, how the mighty do fall," Bellatrix whispered in her dark, gleeful voice.

It all happened so fast that Draco could barely register it. His aunt was screeching about how he was a traitorous blot on their family tree. Her friends began screaming again and somehow managed to wrangle their wands back before stupefying their captors. The house elf he'd long forgotten appeared and nearly dropped an entire chandelier on his aunt.

All the while, Draco could only watch in horror. Hermione's head remained pressed to his chest, his hold on her like steel bands. He'd made to protect her and he couldn't stop now.

A moment of clarity stunned him and he saw his aunt's eyes madden with fury and it was in that moment that his mother tossed him a small bag, merely big enough to fit in the size of his palm.

"Go," she pleaded in a hiss.

Draco watched in what felt like slow motion now as his aunt reached for her wand. He pulled Hermione closer, felt her shake against him, and thrust his hand back to reach for Dobby.

The next thing he knew, he slammed back first into a sandy beach with Hermione Granger sprawled on top of him.

It didn't take long before her two friends snatched her away from him. Didn't take long before he had to watch as Weasley cradled her weak frame while Potter got in his face to interrogate him.

However, while he answered the asinine questions that he hardly had reasonable answers to his eyes never left her. She watched him in return, mildly nervous but also understanding swimming under the surface.

They watched him like a hawk once they made it inside the cottage. However, when she yelled at them finally, they allowed him some freedom, even if they did confiscate his wand.

He said not a word though and merely appreciated the calm that overcame him when he realized that even though they were still in danger, for at least a moment he could pretend it was over.

He didn't sleep that night, visions of her torture still playing behind his eyelids every time he closed his eyes. Instead, he sat in the small living room watching the waves crash over the shore under the moonlight.

It was in the wee hours of the morning when she shuffled into the room, wrapped in overlarge pajamas that only seemed to highlight just how small she truly was. She sat next to him on the lumpy couch, careful to keep some distance between them. Yet Draco could still feel the warmth from her body, could still remember the softness of her pressed against him.

"Why are you up, Granger," he asked, his eyes never leaving the darkened shoreline.

"Same as you, I'd wager," she shrugged and pulled her knees up to her chest as her arms weaved around them.

He could feel her chocolate eyes boring into him but he didn't dare meet them. He swallowed as his fingers of the hand resting on the arm of the chair continued to trace idle patterns in the worn fabric.

"Why," she finally asked after a moment.

He didn't answer and merely tried to pretend he was somewhere else. Pretend they were different people in a different time. However, her hand gripped his upper arm and he felt her warmth leak through the soft cotton shirt he'd been given to wear after his quick shower. He met her eyes slowly and felt his breath catch in his throat.

There was still a slight tremor in her hand though it was improving it seemed. By morning, he imagined she'd be back to her old self, minus the grotesque memories of what she'd endured.

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug and turned to stare at the waves again. "Madness. What else?"

He felt her eyes on him still and was surprised to hear the huff of her quiet laugh.

"If that's what you want to call it, Malfoy."

She stayed awake by his side for hours before she eventually fell asleep with her head resting against his shoulder. He timed his breathing to match hers. He'd read somewhere that it was useful when trying to overcome insomnia. Yet it didn't work. It did calm him though.

Draco held a finger over his lips when Potter rose the next morning to find her resting against him. He dropped his hand when the spectacled man sighed but nodded and Draco clasped his hands in his lap.

Madness.


	32. Her

**Something a little different this time.**

* * *

 **Her**

"Her," his father nodded from where they sat in the Ministry cafeteria. "You should be dating a witch like her."

Draco followed his father's line of vision and grimaced when he saw the witch in question. Granger. _Hermione_ Granger.

He snorted as he turned to meet his father's haughty stare and shook his head. "Please, father. You don't know what, or rather who, you're talking about."

Lucius shrugged, unbothered and crossed his arms over his chest as he pushed the lackluster lunch away from him. "Perhaps, perhaps not. But you need to be dating a witch of caliber. A witch who has convictions, morals, and doesn't parade in front of your mother for Sunday lunch in a dress so short you don't have to be a house elf to see her arse cheeks."

Draco stared incredulously at his father for a moment and finally shook his head again. "Father, I went to school with her. Her name's Hermione Granger. You _may_ remember her one-upping me in every single class."

Lucius glanced at the witch again as she seated herself with Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, two of his son's co-workers in the auror department. "Perhaps her taste in company is questionable, given the Weasley, but what's wrong with a woman with a decent mind?"

"Decent mind? She's the Law Liaison in our department and has reprimanded me twice in just the last month for being late by five minutes. Five minutes! She's uptight and a know-it-all. Plus," he leaned closer, "Muggle-born."

Lucius drew a measured breath at this news and stared hard at his son. It wasn't too often that he had the opportunity to share lunch during the week with him but six years out of Hogwarts and the boy was still acting like just that—a boy. He went out often and rumor had it that he caught the attention of many a witch—after him for all the wrong reasons.

Traditionally, the Malfoys did not marry less than halfbloods. They were high society after all and traditions were to be upheld. However, after the last war ending when Draco was just an infant and being able to avoid Azakaban, Lucius had become of the mind to change his ways. Apparently, by still associating with other pureblood families who had not progressed so much had left their son with a misunderstanding of sorts.

What Draco didn't know was that his parents had met Miss Granger at a recent charity function. Narcissa had become rather smitten with the witch and combined with meeting their son's latest girlfriend the next day over Sunday lunch and being treated to a view of the bint's knickers, they were intent to curb his ways.

"Draco," his father drawled, "your mother and I find we're less inclined to care about your partner's blood status as we are in how she carries herself in society. You can't honestly say that any of the women you've dated recently are fulfilling to you in any way." He narrowed his eyes, "And before you get smart, you _know_ what I mean."

Draco's eyes widened slightly and he swallowed. "Those are rumors, Father. I'm more discriminating than that. And who says you can't have a drink and share a dance with a witch without getting into every single one's knickers at the end of the evening? I'm just enjoying life a bit."

Lucius scowled at his son's cavalier attitude and glanced once more in the direction of the curly-haired witch his wife was certain was the perfect fit for their son.

"So you don't find Miss Granger attractive then?"

Draco shrugged as he chewed a bit of food, feeling uncomfortable being forced to think about it. No, her appearance wasn't terrible. She dressed demurely but if he were honest her work attire was attractive but just sedated compared to women like Astoria or Pansy. Her hair was much improved from when they were children and she didn't cake on the makeup the way Pansy did which he sort of admired.

But her personality—she was stubborn just as he'd said. She took delight in writing him up for his miniscule misdemeanors on the job and he doubted they would have any physical chemistry.

Besides, she generally went after bookish wizards like herself.

"She's alright," he finally shrugged. "What's the sudden interest in her anyway?"

Lucius reached to sip from his water glass and then focused again on his son. Draco hated the pauses. And Lucius loved to make him squirm.

"Your mother has invited her to the Christmas ball we're hosting. She expects you to dance with her."

Draco snorted, "There's no way Granger will agree to dance with me. She despises me and has since Hogwarts."

"If Miss Granger is as socially adept as she appears then she will because it's polite." His father narrowed his eyes then. "You're not dating someone at the moment, are you?"

Draco sighed dejectedly because he knew lying would only make things worse when his sleuth of a mother discovered the truth if he did. "No, I'm not."

A sly grin quirked his father's mouth and the elder man pushed back from the table. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with the Minister."

Draco brooded over the conversation with his father for the next week. If he was honest, he was still sulking the night of his mother's Christmas ball. The conversation with his father had been rather eye-opening if truth be told. He really had no interest in women like Astoria or Pansy minus how they looked on his arm and how other men envied him. It led to some rather uncomfortable soul searching questions like whether he was happy going out and partying with these women. Did they actually do anything for him? And while it was actually rare for him to take a witch home (contrary to what the Daily Prophet would have everyone believe), was it ever worth it when he did?

"Merlin," he grumbled to himself as he stood off to the side of his parents as they greeted the guests filing into the manor's grand foyer and into the ballroom.

So maybe he could do with some worthwhile conversation and a witch who had her life together. Truth be told the short dresses didn't really do much for him anyway. It was just amusing to watch his parents' reactions.

And he'd becoming increasingly aware of Granger over the last week as well. The way her no nonsense pencil skirts hugged her gentle curves and the oddly tantalizing way that small peek of cleavage excited him from the V of her demure button down blouses.

He shook his head to clear his mind as Blaise greeted him with a hearty handshake, his fiancé, Luna Lovegood smiling dreamily on his arm before the couple headed off into the festivities.

No, despite that maybe he was realizing he wasn't truly interested in the vapid witches his parent hated, that certainly didn't mean he fancied Hermione Granger.

She showed up near the end of the procession and she was alone which surprised him a bit. He watched curiously as she greeted his mother and father warmly, exchanging a kiss on the cheek with the elder couple.

His lip curled at the display but it didn't explain the way his eyes roved over her form interestedly. She'd chosen a dress of deep blood red silk. It was less voluminous than what some other witches had chosen, more sedated really. However, paired with the familiar red lipstick she often wore he couldn't deny that she was certainly passable. Maybe even a little lovely.

"Malfoy," she greeted him neutrally. He exchanged the vapid cheek kiss with her in greeting as was expected and watched silently as she traipsed off into the ballroom.

"Get a move on, son," Lucius growled in his ear as he and Narcissa passed.

Draco did snarl at that and straightened the lapels of his dress robes irritably before stalking off after them.

His intent was to request his dance, allow her to deny him, and then gloat to his parents about how wrong they were about her. However, she was quickly snatched up by Neville Longbottom and then by Ernie Macmillan. He hardly noticed the pouting that both Astoria and Pansy did when he brushed them off, his eyes having not left the petite witch being twirled around the dancefloor by other wizards.

It took an hour before he finally cornered her at the punch bowl and held out his hand to her, just waiting for her to deny him.

"Might I have this dance, Granger," he asked politely.

Her brown eyes studied him for a moment, scrutinizing him from head to toe. However, after a long moment she sighed and set her cup down before placing her hand in his.

Draco hid his surprise and didn't dare glance at his parents to see their reaction as he led her onto the dancefloor. The band decided at the moment to switch to a slow tune and he half wondered if his father hadn't ordered it so.

She set her hand in his and placed the other on his shoulder. He tried not to appreciate the feel of her waist in one hand or the soft skin of her palm in his other as he led them in a gentle dance.

"I'm rather surprised that you'd ask me to dance, Malfoy," she noted after a quiet moment, meeting his grey eyes again.

He shrugged and moved to twirl her before pulling her gracefully back in. "And why's that?"

She snorted rather inelegantly and smirked at him. It was the same smirk she gave him whenever she disciplined him or the other aurors yet he couldn't find it in him to be turned off by it now.

"I wrote you up last week. Don't think I didn't hear your colorful tirade after you shut my office door."

Draco groaned quietly and for whatever reason pulled her unknowingly closer. "You can be a rather uptight bint."

She rolled her eyes at him but her pleasant expression didn't change. "And you've _always_ been a frustrating prick. What's your point?"

He did glance then over her shoulder and found his mother watching them intently. His eyes returned to the all too familiar brown ones and for some reason decided in that moment that he liked brown eyes. Not just any brown but chocolate brown like Hermione Granger's. He was surprised to realize that he'd never once dated a witch with brown eyes.

"It's come to my attention that you've charmed my parents."

She lifted a questioning brow and glanced over her shoulder as well. "Yes, well, I'm guessing they're not too fond of the witches you generally bring home. Not very difficult to one up that, now is it?"

Draco twirled her again as the song transitioned and the tempo changed. "What would you say if I asked you out to dinner, Granger?"

There. He'd just lay his cards right out and then he could gloat when she turned him down.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not to be used as a ploy to satisfy your parents' wishes for you to stop being such a prat."

He tilted his head slightly as he considered her. That red silk really highlighted her pale but lovely skin tone. And why in Merlin's name did he have the sudden urge to run his tongue all over her and determine if she tasted as wonderful as she looked?

"What if _I_ wish to stop being such a prat? Would you consider me then?"

Why had he said that? Did he?

Well perhaps. He was getting a bit long in the tooth for a pureblood and it was probably high time he consider dating someone more seriously with marriage in mind.

She controlled her surprise but he noted the moment her eyes widened the slightest. "Would you stop being late to work so I can quit writing you up?"

He watched her red painted lips as they moved and had the oddest urge to lean down to kiss her as well.

"I will if you're there to wake me up," he grinned suggestively.

She bit her lower lip, indignation rising with her flushed cheeks. "I most certainly will not!"

Draco chuckled as he twirled her again, pulling her back much closer this time and pinning her delightful body to his chest.

"Just have dinner with me, Hermione. Just dinner. We can answer more questions after that."

He could practically feel her heart beating frantically against him as he held her close.

She swallowed as she gazed up at him. "I'm your superior. We'd have to be discreet."

His mouth curled into a familiar smirk. "Weasley is dating that tart who works as your secretary and no one has reprimanded him."

She grimaced at that but finally nodded. "Fine. One dinner. I won't promise you anything more."

By the end of the night, he'd danced with only the one woman. The one he'd been certain would turn him down. His parents were pleased as punch when he told them she'd agreed to have dinner with him.

The following weekend he took her to dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in Diagon Alley. He quickly learned that she was witty on top of her cleverness. He learned she had strong opinions on current legislation. She had ambition to make changes that would have intrigued even his father should they ever discuss it.

By the end of the night, he learned that he'd pegged her entirely wrong. She was demure, but she was also warm and quite pleasant. When she accepted his kiss at the end of the evening, he found he was quite pleased to have been so wrong. Especially so when she agreed to a second date.

Over the following weeks, he found that her lipstick had the terrible habit of transferring to his lips after a lovely snog goodnight.

He found that she wasn't near as uptight as he'd long thought. It merely required time to gain her trust and once he did he knew it was well worth the trouble.

He learned that she would in fact allow him to sleep over but that was only after six months and after he'd proven his worth to her.

He found that his parents truly did adore _her_ and not just her disposition. He found that he liked her muggle parents, especially her mother's food.

He found he enjoyed her smiles, especially the beautiful one she bestowed on him when after eight months he proposed.

More than anything, he found he'd been wrong. He knew this for certain when he kissed her the first time as his wife.


	33. No More Betting

**Another story to brighten your weekend. Hopefully, you'll enjoy my sense of humor.**

* * *

 **No More Betting**

"You're an absolute idiot, Malfoy."

Draco turned to sneer at his co-worker and rolled his eyes at the spectacled man. "Pardon me, Potter? Exactly what have I done to draw your insults now?"

"Besides existing," Harry asked with a grin. He shrugged and nodded towards his best friend who was conversing with a group of curse breakers from the French ministry. "I've watched this stupidity play out long enough. Are you interested in her or not?"

Draco had the good grace to lift a questioning eyebrow and then glance once more to the witch in question. It really wasn't his fault that she'd shown up in the simultaneously demure but tempting cream colored dress. The material appeared smooth as it skimmed along her gentle curves and brushed the tips of her toes. It was likely a sin for so much of her back to be exposed, offering up a tasteful glimpse of the creamy skin she normally hid from view in her prim work attire.

"Not sure what you're getting at, Potter," he shrugged and lifted his drink to his lips, an effort to hide his discomfort.

Harry sighed dramatically and shook his head. "Look, I've had enough. Ron's had enough as well. Both of us tried to discourage it but obviously the heart wants what it wants, regardless of how misguided that might be."

The blonde narrowed his eyes at the slightly shorter man, his lips twisting in confusion. "What in Merlin's name are you going on about? It's like you're speaking in bloody riddles."

"She fancies you, you git," Harry glared at him. "Has for a while actually."

Draco's eyes widened and he glanced once more in her direction. She was obviously none the wiser of their conversation as she laughed and conversed amiably with their foreign colleagues.

Truth be told, he honestly hated these little international get togethers with their neighboring ministries but the Minister was convinced that it was good to reinforce those positive connections. After all, they had just needed to call in a favor from the Italians on a raid of smuggled dragon eggs.

He hated it all the more because the foreign men really loved her. They weren't jaded by how she normally presented herself which had the unintentional effect of turning some men off due to her no nonsense attitude at work. No, their foreign colleagues saw her as she dressed up and pampered herself to enjoy the rare evening socializing.

That all being said, she'd never once hinted that she fancied him. Not when she was reminding him to turn in his reports. Not when she was rolling her eyes, even if she did smile, at his stupid jokes that had the rest of the office cracking up. And not when she was writing him up for another infraction, which while he was always guilty, usually wasn't a big deal.

"Surely, you're mistaken, Potter." Draco lifted a morsel of food from a passing tray as he passed off his empty glass. "We might have forged an amiable work relationship but she's never once joined us for drinks at the Leaky Cauldron after work when I've invited everyone. She takes great pleasure in writing me up, I swear." He narrowed his eyes when Harry snorted at that. "And not to mention, I highly doubt I'm her type."

It was Harry's turn to narrow his eyes at his colleague. "How do you figure?"

Draco shrugged and crossed his arms as he studied her across the room. "She doesn't date much but the few times I've seen her with a bloke she goes after the nerdy sort. You know—blokes who wear glasses," he paused to roll his eyes, "Not like _you_ , Potter. You're a git. She seems to go for blokes who spend their free time with their noses in books. The ones who wouldn't so much as fantasize about ruffling her skirt. She likes them _sweet_ ," he frowned.

Harry turned his eyes up to the ceiling for a moment, distracted for a half second by the charmed birds fluttering there before he heaved a great sigh and turned to face the blonde prat fully.

"Hermione likes nice men, yes, I'd agree. She likes men who hold doors open, men who offer their coats when she's cold or offer to get her another drink when she's finished hers. She likes _intelligent_ men, those that can keep up with her wit, but not necessarily with the same _extreme_ affection she has for books. Sweet doesn't have to mean boring, Malfoy and I've seen you do lots of those sort of things. Hell, I saw you offer your coat to her last Christmas when the Charms Department lost control of the fake snow."

Draco tipped his head in thought as he watched her laugh politely at another one of those asinine jokes that Jean Martin told her. She wasn't wearing much makeup for the evening and rarely ever did but that red lipstick made her mouth look so… _snoggable_. At the moment, he felt he'd give his last galleon for just one kiss from those lips.

"Fine, I'll concede that maybe I'm not an utter prat then and maybe she might find me nice sometimes these days. But…and don't hex me for this…you don't even want to know how many times I've fantasized about shagging her brains out. In her bed, in my bed, in her office, in _your_ office…"

Harry held a hand up quickly and waved for him to stop as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Stop, stop! She's like my sister for God's sake."

Draco shrugged, a wicked smirk playing on his lips. "Just trying to make my point, Potter."

Harry sighed again, "Fine. Point taken. You're a depraved, sick-minded arsehole."

"Hey, I never said I wanted to do anything sick or devious to her," he countered. "She's the kind of woman you lavish, not use."

"Yeah, well she enjoys writing you up for other reasons than just getting you in trouble." When Draco lifted a curious brow, Harry regretted admitting that. "This is secondhand information, Malfoy, and if she ever finds out I told you—because it was something she once admitted to Ginny in private—I'll kill you but—she likes getting your dander up. She likes being in charge. And while you grumble about it, you always seem to let her have the upper hand. She feels like on some level it means you respect her."

Draco glanced back at her as she crossed the room to the bar and unconsciously licked his lips. "Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath. "She can be in charge anytime. I certainly wouldn't mind her on top."

Harry cringed visibly and shook his head as if to shake out the blonde's words. "Look, do you like her or not? And not as just some passing fling? Hermione is the type of woman you marry, Malfoy, not the type you shag and leave so if that's all you want from her then I'll tell Ron and you'll never get within five feet of her again without us present."

Draco watched as she began approaching them, Ginny now in tow. As he watched her fluid movements, he was reminded of his last conversation with his mother.

"Mother has been on my arse lately about settling down. And mother does speak highly of her whenever she's in the Prophet for whatever things she's promoting in law." He glanced at his somewhat friend and smirked. "Think Granger would be open to a couple of kids in the not so distant future?"

Harry huffed out a slight laugh. "Hermione loves children. Another bit from Ginny—she wants two."

Draco gave a sharp nod, "I think I can manage two."

He left the man to approach her and intercepted her midway.

Hermione gave Harry a confused look as she accepted Draco's hand when he asked to dance. Harry merely grinned knowingly, causing the witch to blush furiously before her attention was stolen again by her new companion.

Ginny stepped up to her husband's side as she wove an arm through his and turned to watch the couple. "What did you do?"

Harry shrugged and glanced down at her with a smile. "Just moved things along a little. Apparently, Malfoy fantasizes about shagging her and is also in the market for a wife."

Ginny snorted rather inelegantly as she watched the pair, appreciating their friend's grin as she laughed at something the blonde said. "Imagine that. She told me she's been having odd dreams lately of having someone's children—blonde children."

"How long do you want to bet it takes before he proposes?"

Ginny bit her lip as she watched the way Malfoy encouraged Hermione to rest of head against his chest as the tempo of the song changed. "Two weeks to re-introduce her to his mother and six months before there's a ring. First pregnancy announced just before their first wedding anniversary."

Harry chuckled. "You're on. A month to re-introduce her to his mother and four months to propose. She'll be pregnant not long after the honeymoon."

Ron chose that moment to join them with a plate piled high with food. He turned to see what they were looking at and his eyes widened. "Bloody hell, what did I miss," he mumbled around a finger sandwich.

Harry and Ginny shared a look before they glanced at him.

"We're betting on how long it will take them to get married and have kids."

Ron choked on a bite as he tried to swallow, his eyes watering as he coughed. Once he gathered his wits again, he grinned. "Count me in!"

The three of them watched as the new couple came together over the night. None were surprised when they bid them goodnight after Draco asked to take her to a late night dessert.

Ginny kept the boys in the loop the next day when she recounted Hermione's story about how he walked her home and kissed her tenderly on her doorstep before making plans for an official first date.

"I'm telling you both," the witch grinned as they shared lunch, "I'm winning this bet."

Ron snorted, "You're ruddy mental. We've got just as good of a chance as you do."

 _18 Months Later_

"I win," Ginny shouted.

"You bloody well don't," Ron argued as the lot of them sat around a large patio table for brunch. "You were off by a month on the proposal. And only Harry got the timing right for the re-introduction to his mother."

Harry smacked his forehead dramatically while Draco and Hermione shared a confused look.

"What are they talking about," he whispered in his wife's ear.

Hermione shrugged, her eyes darting between all of her friends in confusion as she watched them argue. "I haven't the slightest."

"Oi," Draco shouted over their bickering. "Someone mind telling us what you lot are going on about?"

Ginny crossed her arms irritably as she glared at her husband and brother. "We had a bet going the night you two got together. I bet you'd be pregnant just before your first wedding anniversary. These two argue that's not the most important element of the bet since I was wrong about how long it would take your prat of a husband to propose or when he'd re-introduce you to his mother." She waved a hand towards the two men. "Tell them the pregnancy is more important, Hermione!"

Hermione shook her head, mildly slack jawed by her friends betting on her relationship. Were they seriously that predictable?

"I swear if you weren't six months pregnant yourself and an emotional mess, I'd hex you all," Hermione countered.

"At least they didn't bet on how long it would take me to get you in bed," Draco grumbled, mostly to himself. "Side note: it was the honeymoon."

Hermione whipped her eyes to her husband irritably and reached under the table. She was mildly pleased as he squawked when she grabbed his crotch roughly, just enough to smart. She could have hexed him with her wand but where would the fun in that be?

Draco shook his head, "It was worth the wait! I swear! Just don't hurt him!" The knuckles of his hands that were gripping the edge of the table now were nearly white as he wife squeezed him in a not so pleasurable way. "Merlin, Hermione, you love that bit of me—don't ruin it!"

Hermione let go then but continued to glare at him as he panted slightly. "Serves you right for that little quip."

Draco slouched in his chair as he waited for the discomfort to dissipate. He was nearly ashamed when a small whimper escaped him. He leaned over and rested his forehead against Hermione's shoulder pitifully, causing his wife to roll her eyes at his dramatics.

"Merlin," she sighed but carded her fingers lovingly through the hair at the back of his head, "It's like Buckbeak all over again."

"So," Ron spoke up again as he glanced around the table, "Shall we bet on names then?"

"No more betting," Draco growled, turning his face away from Hermione's shoulder to glare at them.

"Geez, sensitive," Ron shrugged.

However, when the newly pregnant couple left early to go shopping, the remaining three turned to each other with a myriad of expressions between.

"So," Ginny waggled her eyebrows, "perhaps a name pool then? Constellation names…oh! Or a combo of constellation and muggle names!"

"This could end poorly," Harry sighed.


	34. Innuendos

**Innuendos**

"I'm exhausted," Hermione told her friends. "Had a late night. Maybe we can see the movie tomorrow?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a curious look as Draco sat quietly to his wife's side, smirking smugly. They shrugged and turned back to their best friend.

"Sure," Harry nodded. "Ginny will be glad anyway because she's off tomorrow. She'll be able to go. We were going to do dinner with Ron and Lavender anyway. Do you want to come?"

"I feel like I haven't seen Ginny in ages, what with our work schedules," she smiled, "We'd love to come."

Draco snorted but quickly tried to hide the reaction behind his hand as he covered his mouth and glanced away from the trio. Hermione's brow furrowed as she glanced at him but ultimately shook her head, not bothering to comment on it. She loved the man dearly or she wouldn't have agreed to marry him but sometimes he was a perfect little menace around her friends. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what he found amusing.

They paused in conversation as their server returned with their dessert orders. Ron took a large bite before speaking, small crumbs escaping the corner of his mouth.

"Oi, I should warn you ahead of time—Lavender's decided to join Madam Malkin's Illustrious Perfumes and Nose Candy sales team—"

"A pyramid scheme," Hermione grumbled.

Ron shrugged, not disagreeing, and continued. "I pick my battles, Hermione. Anyway, just tell her to shove off if she bothers you with it. I've tried telling her not to sell to friends but she thinks that's the best way to start."

"Rubbish," Hermione snapped, a bite of her chocolate cake held primly to her lips. "Just another reason to get me riled up again. Draco does that well enough on his own."

The blonde in question bit his lip against another laugh and kept silent which was surprising to the group.

Harry shook his head, "Is there no satisfying that woman? She bounces from job to job."

"Those without goals are rarely satisfied," Hermione lectured. She tolerated Lavender but she was still no fan. She was still just as catty in adulthood as she'd been in school. "Which is clearly why I'm always satisfied."

Draco lost it finally and doubled over his slice of cheesecake, bellowing with laughter. His shoulders shook slightly and tears sprang at the corners of his eyes.

"Merlin," Hermione frowned at her husband, "What in the world has gotten into you?"

Draco sat up straight again after a deep breath. "You told me not to speak if I couldn't behave myself today. I think it best to keep that to myself."

Harry and Ron exchanged another discreet glance, this time more amused.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and turned in her chair slightly to face him. "Speak, Draco."

He gave her a feral grin, the same one he usually sported when he was about to do something he _knew_ would get him in trouble and then proceeded to do as she ordered.

"You're so bloody _exhausted_ because I always make sure you _come_. I can't help getting you _riled up_ as it's the best way to make sure you're _always satisfied_!"

Hermione's eyes widened comically at his outburst and her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. "That's what you've been doing during lunch? Thinking of bloody innuendos?!"

Draco took a bite of his cheesecake and sat back with a satisfied smile as he chewed. "Ah, I feel so relieved to get that out. It was a bit frustrating to hold back."

"You're incorrigible," she grumbled and turned back to her cake.

"All the better to _satisfy_ you, love."


	35. Waited This Long

**Waited This Long**

News had spread quicker than she'd thought possible, even with magic. She'd been dreading work all weekend as she'd been certain it would be bad but she'd naively not realized it would be this bad.

Standing in front of her bedroom mirror and smoothing her hands over her skirt and blouse as she always did, this morning felt nothing like any others. She cringed internally but glanced at her face. Her eyes were still showing a bit of puffiness. That just wouldn't do.

Her shaky hands reached for her makeup, intent to cover what she could the muggle way because the aurors were too well-trained and would notice if she'd glamored anything. She took a deep breath and stilled the tremor in her hands before she applied the extra concealer. A small bit of color to her ashen cheeks helped as well. Her normal gloss sat beside her makeup brushes but instead, and driven partially by spite, she reached for her red lipstick.

She generally reserved the tube of red for special occasions or events. Whenever she wore it, he always ended up accusing her of inciting the other men's flirtation. He noted the way their eyes all watched her lips when she spoke, licking their own in response.

But he was delusional and she'd never once been tempted. If only he could say the same.

With a deep breath and another check of her light makeup, she nodded to herself and grabbed her bag on her way to the floo.

The green flames enveloped her and she reemerged in the Ministry's atrium. She'd hoped dearly if she came in with the rest of the crowd that she'd be able to blend in and no one would notice her presence until she made it to her desk.

No such luck.

Susan Bones ran into her first. The well-intentioned witch grabbed her by the shoulders near the fountain and gave her a heartfelt hug before she pulled back to meet her eyes.

"Oh Hermione, I heard from Padma and Parvati. I am _so_ sorry."

Hermione gave her a forced smile as she tried to extricate herself from her friend's grasp.

"I'm fine, really," she insisted. She didn't bother to register the woman's pitying look and turned to continue her escape to her office.

Hermione made it maybe another five feet before she was intercepted again. This time by Cormac McLaggen.

"Terrible news, Hermione." The git had the nerve to smile at her like he was happy about it. And he probably was!

"Yeah, thanks," she muttered and shouldered past him.

She was so close to the lifts when Oliver Wood ran into her next. "Alright there, Hermione? Ever considered working in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. We could get your transferred pretty quick. No need to continue working in a place where you're going to be uncomfortable."

She nearly lost her patience along with her sanity but forced another smile for her former housemate and shook her head. "I'm fine where I am, Oliver. I'm of higher rank anyway."

He nodded good-naturedly and watched as she tried once more to make it to the lift. However, as predicted, she was stopped once more.

Lavender Brown of all bloody people looped an arm around her shoulders and turned her in the opposite direction. Hermione scowled at the woman as she struggled to break free.

"Horrible news, Hermione. You'll have to tell me all about it. Best to get these things off your chest early and not to stew."

Another arm, stronger and longer, wrapped around Hermione from the other side and tugged her free suddenly.

"Back off, you bunch of harpies!"

Hermione looked up and found Draco Malfoy tugging her free and steering her straight for the lifts finally. They weren't particularly close by any means but worked amiably together. Outside of Harry, he was arguably the one least brought into her office to be disciplined for some transgression in the field.

Hermione allowed the auror to be her bodyguard as he moved them into a recently vacated lift and slammed the gate shut with a bang.

Draco crossed his arms irritably over his chest as he watched the lift begin to move.

"Thanks, Malfoy," she muttered as she straightened her blouse.

He shrugged, "Don't mention it. I heard like everyone else but clearly I have more tact than the rest of that gossipy brood of geese."

Hermione snorted at his description of their co-workers and was slightly surprised when he glanced at her with a satisfied smirk.

"In all seriousness, Granger. You're better off without the git."

She eyed him closely. From the clenching of his strong jaw, no longer as pointy now that he'd grown into it, and his hard grey eyes which didn't appear angry with her—he was sincere. He also appeared a bit guilty.

She sighed and leaned against the wall of the lift. "How long have you known then?"

"That Weasley was a git? Since first year." He rolled his eyes when she cast him a scathing look. "That he was cheating on you with that bint? Just a week. I guarantee Potter didn't know or he'd have ratted the rodent out faster than you can write one of us up for improper hexing." He shook his head with a sigh. "I was debating on telling you myself. I was meeting Blaise for a drink when I saw the two meeting at the Leaky Cauldron and sneaking off to a room upstairs. I just didn't know if you'd want to hear it from me, let alone believe me."

Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion and she turned to see him more clearly. "Malfoy…Draco, you've more than proven your worth as a co-worker and auror. That alone has earned you my respect. I would have at least looked into it further if you'd told me."

Draco appeared rather surprised by that admission but merely nodded. "I'll remember that for next time."

She snorted harshly and rolled her eyes. "Oh, there won't be a next time. I don't give second chances for cheating. Three years together after I finished my last year at Hogwarts, which neither he nor Harry bothered to do after the war, and this is what I get? Absolutely not. He'll be lucky if we can return to being friends someday."

"Too right," Draco nodded in approval. "You can do better."

The lift dinged and the recorded female voice announced their destination. Draco pushed the gate open and allowed her out first. He was going to head to his desk with the ginger menace in question popped out in front of them.

"Hermione, I've been waiting for you."

Draco growled under his breath and moved behind her again. "Back off, Weasley. She's not interested in your pathetic excuses."

Ron's face turned an unflattering shade of red to which Hermione nearly laughed. It would have been a nice change of pace from the crying she'd been doing anyway.

"This is none of your business, Malfoy! This is between me and Hermione and—"

"She's not interested in hearing your excuses," Hermione added coldly, "as Draco just said."

She allowed Draco to steer her towards her office, offering a menacing sneer to her ex-boyfriend as they passed. Why he'd elected himself as her bodyguard today, she wasn't sure but it was kind of appreciated. His normal short and snappish responses to Ron were helpful in this situation.

"You know, you could probably find some excuse to write him up," Draco offered once she was behind the safety of her desk.

He hovered in the doorway, shuffling oddly from foot to foot.

"I doubt that would go over well with the department head as it would be a petty move on my part but you're likely right."

Draco nodded and felt heat rise up his neck and tugged at his collar uncomfortably as he tried to find the right words. He was never uncomfortable around women—all but Hermione Granger.

Hermione shuffled some papers as she settled behind her desk. "Thanks again for the crowd control. Hopefully, this will pass quickly." Her eyes followed his hand as he tugged at his color, moving his feet as he shifted his weight again. "Something else you wanted to say?"

He groaned and moved to shut the door behind himself. Full steam ahead before he lost his nerve completely.

"Look, Granger, I'm going to have a rare moment of honesty here so just hear me out and then I'll be out of your hair." He pulled in a deep breath and stood behind one of the chairs opposite her desk. "That moron is a git. He's never deserved you. I admit to being an idiot to you as well in the past but I've at least recognized it and done what I could to be more amiable. We get along alright these days."

Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you trying to say?"

His lip curled in disgust at himself and he huffed. "I bloody fancy you, alright? I've been patiently waiting for you wise up and give that ginger idiot the boot. This wasn't exactly how I imagined that happening however." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Merlin, I shouldn't even be telling you this right now. Probably insensitive given what you're already trying to process."

"How long," she asked, interrupting his self-deprecating mumbling.

Draco opened his eyes again only to find her hands folded neatly over her paperwork and her eyes warm and open. She wasn't angry? He realized after he started his little speech that it likely wasn't the best time for this sort of honestly but the words just tumbled out before he could stop himself.

"How long," he repeated stupidly.

Hermione bit her lip against a smile. It wasn't often she saw him like this. So honest and open. Not since his mother had become gravely ill last winter and he'd opened up to her over lunch, which she had assumed had only been because she was a convenient ear to listen. Perhaps not.

"How long have you had feelings for me?"

He swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing, and glanced down at her desk. "Not long after we started working together."

"Merlin," she whispered in surprise. "Forgive me but I'm a bit surprised you kept this to yourself. You don't even like Ron. It's a bit hard to believe you never tried to say something before now."

His mouth hardened into a scowl at that. "I might be an arse at times but I'm not about to steal someone else's witch. I don't believe in cheating or encouraging someone else to do so, and ending someone's relationship isn't something I'd ever do. I respect you more than to try something like that."

"Good to hear," she smiled kindly.

Draco watched nervously as she shuffled her papers again and reached for a fresh quill. Clearly, she didn't care one way or another. He felt like an idiot now for having said anything.

He shook his head at his own stupidity and turned to leave her office when she called out and stopped him.

"Draco?"

He swallowed and slowly turned back to face her. That was the second time this morning that she'd used his given name.

"After I've had some time to process all this and get over Ron's idiocy, perhaps we could revisit this conversation?"

A brilliant smirk flipped his frown and he nodded. "I've waited this long. I can wait a bit longer."


	36. Ticket Number One

**Thank you all for all the reviews on this series of one shots. I know I don't take the time to thank you individually but I do read each one and it's very appreciated.**

 **Now. Another take on a familiar trope.**

* * *

 **Ticket Number One**

Match Day.

Draco groaned irritably as he stood just before the entrance of the Ministry lobby leading into the Matchmaking office. Voldemort might have been defeated but the Ministry was just as illustriously stupid as ever in their lawmaking. Five years post-war when much of the pureblood society was still intermarrying, not so much as glancing at muggle-borns or halfbloods, the Ministry had decided to take matters into their own hands. Birthrates were drastically down. There needed to be a solution and the spreading of genetics was a muggle concept they'd decided would be useful.

All sons and daughters of pureblood families were to be assigned match numbers, as would those of non-pure blood. On Match Day, each would be allowed to choose a spouse from an available pool of candidates. It was still backwards and gave too much power to those of pure blood but at least the candidate was given an opportunity to agree or not. What good would not agreeing do though? They'd have to marry someone.

"Bloody stupid lot," Draco muttered under his breath as he signed in at the entrance.

While noble in theory, forcing some of the most vile purebloods wizards and witches that managed to escape imprisonment post-war by either remaining neutral or sliding under the radar was proving to be a terrible idea. All the Ministry was doing was shackling innocents into miserable marriages—some even abusive for the unlucky muggle-born or two.

Draco glanced around the waiting room, mentally rolling his eyes at the clear self-imposed divide among the purebloods and the non. His eyes narrowed when he spotted a familiar head of curls bent over a book laid across a demurely dressed lap.

Wary of the quiet muttering around him, he slipped into the chair beside her.

"Granger, what are you doing here?"

Hermione whipped her head up, loose curls sliding from her messy up-do. She was all too aware of the malicious stares pointed her way by a few less than honorable former classmates. She was rather shocked to see Malfoy seated in the chair next to her.

He kept to himself post-war, working within his family's company, but they weren't exactly chummy.

"What does it look like, Malfoy," she answered quietly, eyes dipping back to her book desperately. She hated the attention. She was fully aware of the numerous gazes trained on her. Some of genuine interest and others more malicious.

Draco shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest as he shot a dangerous glare at Theodore Nott who was glaring at him from across the room.

"I meant, _Miss Swot_ , why are you here? I thought you'd have been married off to the Weasel by now."

Hermione glanced up again, her forehead furrowed in confusion. "You must not read the papers much, Malfoy. That was over ages ago."

He shrugged to himself as he glanced around the room. He gave a short nod to Blaise when he entered the lobby. The Italian glanced around, much as Draco had done originally, and nearly snorted at the divide in the room. He took up the seat on the other side of Draco, not even sparing Hermione a glance.

"Bloody stupid this idea was," Blaise muttered quietly. "Some of these muggle-borns are in for a heap of trouble if they get matched with the wrong person." He finally glanced around Draco and lifted his eyebrows suggestively. "That one in particular."

"What are you on about," Draco asked quietly, checking to make sure Hermione hadn't heard. When he seemed certain her focus was still on her book, he eyed his friend expectantly.

"I hear Pucey has it out for her for getting half his family locked up with her testimony after the war. He's got ticket number three and plans to make her life hell," he cringed openly. "I'm afraid to think what awaits her behind closed doors. He's got a reputation you know."

Draco's stomach churned uncomfortably at that news. He was well aware of his former housemate's reputation with women. He was rough, if not downright abusive. No doubt he had plans for Hermione Granger.

"What's your number, Blaise?"

The Italian grinned broadly. "One."

Draco frowned and glanced down at his own. "Trade with me."

His friend glanced at his ticket, shrugging at the number four. "What for?"

"Just do it, you dolt! You owe me one anyway for getting you out of that broomstick violation last month."

Blaise groaned but nodded and quickly snatched his ticket.

Draco turned then towards his former school nemesis and watched her for a moment as she read. Her eyes darted quickly across the page before she turned it only the repeat the action soon enough. Was it odd that he felt he might enjoy just watching her read? Perhaps they could read together sometime.

"Granger, what's your number?"

Without looking up, Hermione lifted a questioning brow. "Why do you care, Malfoy?"

"Just tell me your bloody number, damn it!"

She sighed and closed her book around her finger before she met his stare. "It's thirty-seven."

He gave a curt nod and then folded his arms across his chest as he waited for the whole mess to begin.

As was common for the Ministry, the start of the meetings was running late. His right foot began to bounce irritably as he waited. He didn't comment when she looked up again from her book, a look of what might be considered concern etched on her features before she focused on reading again. She was likely trying to pretend this wasn't happening as were the rest of them.

"Ticket number one!"

Draco stood abruptly and made the brisk walk across the room to meet the aging witch. He followed her into a sterile white room and took a seat in one of the two chairs set up across from her as she scattered bits of parchment across the pristine tabletop.

He itched to reach across and straighten the mess of papers. So disorganized. He hated disorganization. Drove him bloody mad.

"Your preference," she drawled without ever looking up.

"Thirty-seven," he managed to say without stuttering.

She looked up then, gazing at him over her small square glasses. Her watery blue eyes studied him for what felt like a moment too long before she finally nodded.

She shuffled more papers and finally found two that she laid out on the table. One had his name and a small snapshot of his last photo taken for work looping on the page as he arrogantly stared into the camera while straightening the lapels of his robes. A small blurb of his likes, dislikes, and vital information was scrawled underneath. The other showed a prim looking Hermione as she, too, looped in a gesture of brushing curls back from her face and behind her ear. A similar description was scrawled under her photo.

"You're certain, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Quite," he managed to nod confidently.

However, he'd rather have said 'no, not at all actually'. Yet he felt this was right. They could manage. She wasn't all bad these days.

The matchmaker stood and then left the room. A few seconds later, a rather stunned Hermione entered the room and took the seat next to him. She managed to avoid his curious gaze and instead studied the two pieces of parchment resting side by side on the tabletop.

"Do you accept, Miss Granger?"

"Uh…I…" She glanced up at him finally, noting the pleading look in his eyes.

"Can we have just a moment," he asked suddenly.

The woman shrugged and nodded. She gathered the remaining biographies into her folder, messily so, and closed the door behind her.

Draco wasted no time in turning to face the witch he hadn't really socialized with since the end of the war. They exchanged passive greetings at public events but that was it.

"Granger, Pucey has it out for you. He had a higher number than I did. I traded with Blaise."

Her eyes widened considerably. Brown. They brown but no, more like a chocolate brown, he decided.

"What? Why?"

Not knowing it she was asking why _he_ was offering for her or why Pucey had it out for her, he decided on the latter.

"He's…" He swallowed, "the idiot's got a bit of reputation for being rough with women."

She appeared naturally appalled by that knowledge. He couldn't blame her. It mirrored a similar expression his mother had given him upon hearing it in passing gossip.

"You know and you've not reported him?"

He snorted, "I did once. Anonymously. But even with my name it wouldn't have mattered. There's still work to be done in the wizarding community in terms of domestic abuse issues." He paused and licked his dry lips. "I won't touch you if you don't want me to."

Her lips parted slightly before she swallowed. "You would do that?"

He nodded, "I'm not perfect but I'm certainly no monster either." He'd done what he could to prove that. Quietly, mind you. He didn't really enjoy the public's attention as he had growing up.

"But what about children? We're supposed to…"

He paused as if he'd forgotten that aspect. "Well, I—"

She chewed her lip as she watched him fidget uncomfortably. "I want children, Malfoy. I always have."

He sighed and nodded. He could do that. She was actually rather easy on the eyes. She'd grown into that hair.

He blinked and momentarily imagined how she'd look nestled amongst a pile of the finest cotton sheets, hair strewn about, and chocolate eyes glazed with pleasure.

He swallowed and nodded. "Then we'll have them. Whatever you want. I just can't subject you that…idiot."

She huffed out a breathy laugh, "I didn't realize you cared so much."

"Me either," he mumbled as they turned back to wait for the matchmaker.


	37. Well Matched

**Oh, alright. Don't ever say I'm not nice. You can thank Trinkisme for getting this one for you all. I took that review and whipped this up in about fifteen minutes (so forgive any typos). The inspiration was still running so I thought why not. A bit lighter than the previous. Now no more for this one! I've got other pots I'm stirring. ;)**

* * *

 **Well Matched**

"I want to organize my own bloody bookshelves, Draco. If she absolutely must do something for me, please tell Tippy I'd love some of her scones but do not let that poor elf do more manual labor for me."

Draco rolled his eyes as he followed his new wife out of Flourish and Blott's on what was turning out to be rather wintry afternoon. With their small wedding ceremony a month ago now, Christmas was on the horizon. Snow flurries chased one another in the winter air, many becoming stuck in his wife's abundant mane of curls that weren't trapped under that her hat.

He followed her carefully down the shop's steps, holding her massive purchase of new books. He'd offered her the choice of nice pieces from his vaults as a wedding gift. Felt it was only right that he treat her as he would have any other woman he'd married. She'd not wanted anything besides the engagement ring he bestowed on her and acted offended by the idea of the sort of bright jewelry his mother favored.

However, at the suggestion of one of her idiotic friends, he'd then offered her books. The way those chocolate eyes, as he now referred to them in his head, sparkled with excitement told him he'd stumbled on the right choice. Leave it to Hermione Granger to be true to form even five years out of Hogwarts.

So, after a rather enjoyable Saturday morning in bed with her—he need not overanalyze how much he enjoyed sex with the witch he'd bullied so much growing up—he told her it was time she allow him to bestow his wedding gift on her. It was Malfoy tradition after all that the new bride have a wedding gift.

That was how Draco Malfoy found himself Saturday afternoon, trailing after his muggle-born wife now touted affectionately in the papers as Hermione Granger-Malfoy, hefting a large parcel of books in his arms.

"If we stop at Florean Fortescue's, will you feed me some since I'm carrying your bloody load of dead trees," he teased playfully.

Merlin did he enjoy the way she glared right back, her own expression just as playful. However, she didn't argue and they trudged down the snowy sidewalk together.

"I don't know just how you can eat ice cream in this weather, Draco," she scoffed, dodging an arguing couple of newlyweds as she braced his arm when he nearly tripped trying to do the same.

"Ice cream is pleasant in any weather," he smirked. "We can take some home and I can prove my point behind closed doors if you like. I have the distinct feeling the butterbeer flavor will taste exceptional being lapped from your navel."

He nearly snickered when she blushed to the roots of her hair and swatted his arm half-heartedly. She could say what she liked but she hadn't turned him away once since the first time on their wedding night.

Neither had expected to enjoy the other's company but neither was complaining either. His mother found she was quite pleased with his choice as well. She'd been rather shocked when he told him exactly which muggle-born witch he'd chosen on Match Day. Yet when Hermione joined them for an introductory dinner, dressed demurely in a lovely dress that Draco still liked to remember, and showed impeccable manners during the five course meal, his mother found herself without any legitimate arguments. She was now waiting not so impatiently for the conception of her first grandchild. Whenever that would be. After a short discussion before the wedding to put their affairs in order, they both agreed they weren't in a rush. The Ministry had stupidly not given a timeline for a first child.

Her two friends and their wives had also decided that they were going to let things happen naturally and were in no rush.

Speaking of friends…

"Oi, Zabini," Draco shouted as he and Hermione exited the ice cream shop.

He met Hermione's gaze when he glanced down and winked at her. She rolled her eyes in response. She still didn't understand the friendship between the two former Slytherins. They took regular pleasure in taking each other down a notch.

Blaise and his chosen wife, Luna Lovegood, stopped in their walk and waited for the other couple to catch up.

"Malfoy, pity seeing your sorry mug out in public."

Luna shook her head and leaned forward to Draco. "He's just a bit ornery from the bitswittles he accidentally ingested with his eggs at breakfast."

Draco smirked, avoiding Hermione's look of warning as he grinned at the small blonde witch. "Oh, he's just generally ornery. It's in his nature." He then focused on his scowling former housemate and grinned as he readjusted the load in his arms. "Too bad you're not as kind as your lovely wife, you git."

"Kind," Blaise scoffed. "I do believe you have such a lovely wife because I traded you my number. She'd have been scooped up sooner had you not had ticket number one."

Draco shrugged, "Perhaps. But Hermione now covers the kind and charitable functions in this relationship."

"If your wife were feeling truly charitable, she'd agree to shrink those books and you could put them in your pocket," Blaise grinned, hastily avoiding the sharp elbow of his wife who clucked her tongue in disapproval. They were only beginning to wind each other up.

Draco's gaze swiveled quickly down to Hermione who looked right back innocently.

"You never asked," she smiled impishly. "I'd thought you smarter than that, Draco."

"Bloody Gryffindors," he mumbled under his breath as he once more readjusted the books in his arms. "Take pity on your poor husband, why don't you?"

"I suppose I should," she sighed, "then you can feed yourself this unseasonable dessert, sparing me the trouble."

Blaise grinned through the entire exchange. Joking aside, he felt they were quite well matched after all. Truly, both couples were content with their matches.

Hermione pulled her wand from her coat and with a simple flick, her bundle of books were now small enough to fit into Draco's coat pocket. He stored them quickly, shaking his arms out afterwards. He took his ice cream when she handed it to him. She had that look in her eyes now that told him maybe he ought to behave. Especially if he intended to lap anything from her navel later.

 _"Bloody barmy arse! I'm not going to tell you again, Adrian!"_

Both couples turned in time to watch as Adrian Pucey and his own wife chased one another down the middle of the street. Green sparks shot from the ends of their wands as they ducked behind various objects before popping up to shoot hexes at one another.

 _"Oi! There are kids out here, you two. Take that domestic dispute home with ya."_

Draco and Blaise shared a smug grin over the wives' heads.

"Serves him right to think he was getting a docile witch," Blaise snickered.

"Twenty galleons says she'll hex his prick so badly that they won't be able to conceive," Draco nodded.

"I'll take that bet. I don't think she'll ever let the bastard's prick even touch her."

Hermione and Luna both watched with veiled amusement as the couple in question darted up and down the alley, hexes flying in each other's direction.

"What in the bloody hell is that about?"

The two couples turned when Ron Weasley approached, dressed in his auror robes.

"Pucey and his wife are having a bit of a row," Hermione answered. "If you're still on duty today, you might want to handle that. Where's Harry?"

Ron grumbled under his breath, something about purebloods and egos, before he glanced at her. "Harry went to grab some lunch. Said to take the afternoon duty." He shook his head irritably and he withdrew his wand. "Bloody madness. I'm trained to catch dark wizards and now I'm ending abloody domestic disputes. I've a mind to hex Pucey myself."

He didn't wait for any response from the group and marched off after the fighting couple. They all watched as red sparks flew from the end of his wand and the couple's wands each flew into his hand just before he began barking at them for their stupidity.

Draco wrapped his free arm comfortably around Hermione, pleased when she made no protest at him embracing her so publicly. (Their comfort and intimacy was still new after all.)

"I don't know about you but I think Match Day went quite well for everyone," he grinned smugly.

He chose to ignore Hermione's sharp elbow when she nudged him playfully but met her warm eyes. She wasn't in love with him yet but he had a feeling it would happen. Eventually. He'd fall, too, if she let him.


	38. Thanks

**Thanks**

Draco Malfoy stood nervously at the back of the café's short queue staring at the menu overhead written in various colors of chalk. He stuffed his hands deep in his coat pockets as he tried to hide his nervous shaking.

It had taken six months after the war for the Ministry to finalize his sentencing. He'd remained on house arrest the time in between, faced with reliving his worst memories day in and day out. He sweated in his sleep until he gave up on trying to sleep in normal intervals at all. He then spent his time in the remains of the family library, the bits that weren't confiscated by the Ministry, and read until he basically blacked out each day.

Being escorted to the Ministry for his hearings was like a gift. Any reprieve from the cruel memories that had taken place in this house was a gift. Any time when he didn't pass by the bolted door behind which he'd watched them interrogate his former classmates or watched her scream and bleed on the wood floor was a godsend.

After six months of deliberation, the Ministry finally decided what would happen to him. He'd been saved for last after all. When Harry Potter testified on his behalf, he'd never known such combined grief, irritation, and gratitude.

Six months living in Muggle London was the creative sentencing that Kingsley Shacklebolt had agreed to give him. No magic—they had his wand locked and warded deep in the Ministry—no contact with his mother. Nothing. They allowed him a basic flat with a small allowance of his funds from his vaults to be transferred into muggle pounds. That was after he'd paid a hefty fee to the Ministry in order to help rebuild Hogwarts.

He'd tossed and turned his first night in that flat, plagued with memories playing behind his closed lids as he'd not been allowed books from the family library to take with him.

Now he stood trying to feed himself after stumbling into the first restaurant as close by as possible. However, he couldn't decipher the prices. He'd look like a right fool if he approached the muggle behind the counter and couldn't count his money.

He heard the bell over the door jingle and watched in disbelief as a mane of honeyed curls moved past him. His eyes studied her from head to toe on their own accord. Dark jeans with flat boots and a nice grey coat—she was still small but that was to be expected.

He heard her voice next and swallowed nervously. He'd never forget that voice. He heard it in his nightmares, screaming usually, but sometimes just speaking softly in disappointment. Why had he stood by and done nothing? Did he truly hate her that much?

He felt as if he was going to have a heart attack when she turned after paying and taking her ticket. She froze when she saw him standing there however; her mouth pressed into a thin line before she nodded at him sharply in greeting and went to take a seat near the window.

Draco's eyes fell to the floor before he glanced over his shoulder to see that she'd shucked her coat over the back of her chair and sat with her legs crossed neatly and a book now in hand.

He had two choices. He could be a coward as usual and leave post haste. Or…he could do something he'd never done before and approach her.

His feet moved on their own it seemed before he stopped before her table. It took a long moment before she sighed finally and placed her bookmark between the pages and set her book down.

Hermione Granger stared up at him expectantly for a moment before she spoke.

"I'd heard about your sentencing agreement. Harry wrote me at school. I'd not realized you were in my parents' neighborhood though."

Draco swallowed and glanced once more at his shoes. He had very little pride left. Plenty of anger but that was mostly reserved for his father. However, very little pride.

"I—your parents," he started evenly.

"They're fine, Draco," she sighed. "Memories restored and home in England again. I didn't much appreciate all of that leaking to the Prophet."

He flinched as if she'd struck him and she seemed to notice. Her brow furrowed in confusion but she stayed silent.

She'd called him Draco though. He didn't think they'd ever called one another to their face by their given name.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I was allowed newspapers but that was all from outside mostly."

Her eyes softened considerably and she nodded in understanding. Why? He certainly didn't deserve her understanding. He'd had a lot of time to think over the last six months and he knew that of all those he'd wronged, he owed twice as many apologies to this witch.

Hermione glanced out the window and the snow falling more rapidly. Her parents were fine, true, but since she'd come home on the train for holiday they just wouldn't stop worrying over her. She'd needed a small break, as horrible as that sounded. They had no idea what the war had been like and she refused to tell them to true extent of the horrors she'd seen. Or experienced.

"Are you staying to eat," she asked after a moment. "You can join me if you'd like. You don't have to though," she added when his eyes widened.

"No, I'd…" he averted his gaze. "I'd like to but…"

Hermione tracked his eyes as they turned to look at the menu over his shoulder and then glanced at his face again.

"You don't know how to count the money, do you," she asked softly.

No judgement. No malice or amusement. He certainly would have deserved all three.

"What were you going to order," she asked.

Draco shrugged and turned back to meet her eyes. "Just a sandwich."

Hermione nodded and stood from her table. She tugged gently at his coat sleeve and led him to the counter. He felt like a child being led around by his mother but what choice did he have? Starve or take Hermione Granger's help.

No pride left so he chose her help.

The woman behind the counter waited expectantly.

"Uh…just the turkey sandwich…please," he added as an afterthought.

"With crisps and a drink," the woman asked, unaware how strange this was for him.

Draco glanced uncertainly at the muggle-born witch at his side and she nodded so he turned back to the muggle and did as well.

"10.70," she responded before moving to grab him a cup.

Draco pulled a wad of pounds from his coat pocket and handed them to Hermione gently. He watched as she counted the appropriate sum, paying close attention to the numbers on the colored paper she chose.

"You'll get change," she told him as she handed him the money to pay.

Draco nodded and handed the muggle his money, receiving his change which he pocketed to inspect later.

She showed him then where he could fill his cup with something she called a soft drink.

"It's fizzy," she explained with a shrug.

He followed her back to her table and took the seat opposite her. They sat in awkward silence for a moment until she reached for her book again. She lifted a curious brow when she tracked his eyes as they read the back cover.

"Jane Austen," she offered. "I've read it a hundred times but it's one of my favorites."

He knew without asking that it was a muggle author but being that he hadn't read anything in three days since his sentencing, he didn't much care.

"What's it called?"

Hermione fought a slight smirk but her lips ultimately won. "Pride and Prejudice."

Draco's eyes widened at that but he was saved from answering when the muggle women approached with their food. He blinked blankly as she set the book aside and reached for her sandwich instead.

She was teasing him, he realized. However, upon seeing the front cover he saw that it really was the title of the book.

"Granger," he started as she chewed her first bite, he still trying to determine which corner of his sandwich to bite first. "Is there somewhere here where you can borrow books? Like at the library in school?"

Hermione couldn't stop herself from snorting and wiped crumbs from her hands as she swallowed her bite. "Do you really think the magical world has the corner on libraries, Draco? Muggles have them, too. There's one just down the street from here actually."

"Oh," was all he could manage, his pale cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

She felt a bit bad for having made him feel silly. "I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"Don't," he spoke sternly, grey eyes darkening. "Please…don't apologize to me. I don't deserve it."

Hermione's eyes roved over his face for a moment and ultimately nodded.

They ate in relative silence after that. He followed her example when she neatly put her used napkin and empty crisps bag on her plate and stood to put on her coat.

"I have time before I have to be home," she told him as they stepped out into the cold together. "I can show you the library if you'd like."

"Please," he asked quietly.

For whatever reason, her hand itched to take his and lead him but she doubted he'd want her to touch him. Instead, she discreetly miniaturized her book and stuffed it and her hands into her coat pockets.

He followed her faithfully the two blocks it took to get there. He followed her closely as she explained the various sections and where to find genres that interested him.

He apologized finally, blurting it out rather inelegantly, in the middle of the history section. She stared at him wide-eyed for a moment too long and he began rambling, listing off the many things he was sorry for and how he'd come to realize he was wrong.

When he gestured to her left forearm where the ugly slur had been carved into her skin, she shushed him finally with a finger pressed to his lips.

"You couldn't have helped me without getting yourself killed, Draco. You know I'm right."

"I'm still sorry," he muttered when she removed her finger.

His lips were soft, she noted to herself, not sure why it mattered enough to notice.

She helped him check out five books and walked with him back out into the falling snow. She left him outside of the building where he'd selected his small flat. It was nice, she'd noted. Good neighborhood.

He found out she lived not far away with her parents.

Christmas was five days later and he woke alone. His sleep was still restless and nightmares still plagued him but he woke when she appeared, turning a nightmare into a dream.

A tapping at his bedroom window drew him from his grogginess and he stumbled to open it. A small barn owl glided inside and settled on his bed.

Draco didn't recognize the owl and hesitantly took the letter from its beak.

"I don't have any treats to give you," he told the owl as he turned the letter over in his hands. No name, only an address.

The owl merely tilted its head curiously and clipped its beak at him.

He opened the letter gingerly and unfolded the crisp parchment.

 _Draco,_

 _I've informed my parents of your residence here in town. I've explained a lot of things to them in the last few days, one of which is you and your past. They want you to know that they don't blame you and would like you to know that they'd be happy to answer any questions you might have while you're living here._

 _On that note, they wanted to invite you to Christmas dinner. Don't feel obligated but you're welcome here if you'd like to spend the holiday with someone besides yourself and a book. I might even be convinced to lend you something from my own shelves, provided you promise not to dog-ear the pages. I hate it when people do that._

 _Please send your decision with Flynn. Dinner will be at seven. And don't fret if you don't have a treat for him. He's been promised double if he waits patiently._

 _Best,_

 _Hermione_

 _P.S. If you're concerned about showing up emptyhanded, as I've heard it goes against pureblood custom, you could buy a dessert at the shop across from your flat. They stay open until noon on Christmas Day for last minute emergencies. The proprietor is quite nice like that._

Draco reached quickly for one of the few quills he'd brought with him and scribbled his response on a spare bit of parchment from the desk under the window. He gave it to the owl who took it eagerly and swooped right out the window again.

Draco managed to find the Grangers' home fairly easily. She wasn't joking when she said her parents lived nearby.

He paused as he stood in front of their gate. However, the prospect of spending the holiday alone, wallowing in his self-pity, anger, and remorse just didn't appeal to him. Not if he were going to truly learn anything and change.

He let himself into the yard and walked up the short path to the door. He knocked firmly and waited.

Perhaps he should turn back? They knew about him. She'd have told him the things he'd done and the things he'd said about her.

As his determination was beginning to waver, the door opened, soft Christmas music filling the air. A woman who looked to be in her late forties stood there and studied him for a moment. She had Hermione's curls but somehow less riotous. He didn't like that. He preferred Hermione's ridiculous mane of honeyed curls.

"You must be Draco," Mrs. Granger greeted with a small smile. "Come in, dear."

He swallowed hard but stepped inside.

She took the cake he offered her with a knowing smile and nodded as she directed him where to hang his coat.

He glanced about the Grangers' living room, took in the hardwood floors and modest but tasteful furniture. Non-moving pictures of them covered the walls and shelves, most of them of Hermione. He'd almost forgotten about her larger teeth when his eyes fell on one of her where she couldn't have been more than eight or nine. The bow in her hair was ridiculous but he saw for the first time what he'd always ignored at school.

Yes, her front teeth had been too big. And her hair was abundant. But she was a cute child. She'd been a cute girl and now when he spotted her seated in the chair by the fire, a book in her hands, her curls pinned back from her face elegantly, he felt gobsmacked by another truth. She was a gorgeous woman.

She smiled when she looked up and saw him. He barely registered her father standing from the piano to shake his hand and make introductions. Hardly noticed what food they were eating when they tucked into the dining room table. He bowed his head respectfully when her mother said grace, silently vowing to read about muggle religions when he next visited the library in town.

He met her eyes across the table when her mother tutted about her attempting a relationship with Weasley.

"He's not for you, Hermione. He's a lovely friend but you're not well matched," her mother spoke softly, trying not to embarrass her.

Hermione's cheeks flamed anyway and she diverted conversation to other topics.

Her mother didn't like Weasley then. Interesting.

"What do you want to do when you go back to the magical world," her father asked him as he sliced another bite of ham.

Draco blinked at the man, not missing the way Hermione gave him a perturbed look. Why in the world was she concerned if they made _him_ uncomfortable? It was a drop in the bucket towards his redemption, if redemption was even possible for someone like him.

"I like potion-making," Draco answered after a moment. "The Ministry has agreed to allow me to take my NEWTS if I study while I'm doing my community service here. I think I'd like to start a business in potion-making."

Draco enjoyed the meal with the Grangers immensely, even if he didn't talk much. He preferred observing and listening to them. He wanted to hex himself for next realizing how impressive it actually was to watch a muggle-born seamlessly balance both worlds. How stupid he'd been to not see it before now.

He thought to escort himself out once dinner was over and her mother announced that it was time to open presents. He couldn't stay for that. It would be a horrible intrusion.

However, Mrs. Granger insisted and he seated himself on the sofa next to Hermione as her father began digging through the presents under the tree.

Draco couldn't help it when his eyes strayed to the witch next to him. She'd worn a lovely knee-length red dress for dinner. Her heels were modest and he found himself distracted by the sight of her exposed legs. They appeared quite long for a woman of her height. He was almost a full head taller than her if his measurements were right.

If Hermione noticed his attention, she didn't say.

Draco sat quietly, afraid of offending them if he protested once more against staying.

Her father placed no less than five gifts at his daughter's feet, the same number for his wife and himself.

His last Christmas he'd counted no less than fifteen for himself. It seemed ridiculous now.

Before her father sat next to his wife to begin opening gifts, he held out two small gifts to Draco. Draco eyed the man in confusion, and it only grew when he smiled politely at him.

"Th-thank you," he stuttered.

Hermione smirked at him as she began carefully unwrapping her first gift—a lovely silver locket from her father.

"You didn't think they'd invite you to stay and not have something for you," she asked teasingly. The same way she'd teased him about the muggle library over lunch the first day.

"I suppose not," he answered, though he didn't sound sure at all.

When he glanced up and found her parents also unwrapping gifts gingerly and her mother smiling in his direction he glanced down at the rectangular package in his lap as well as a small, flatter box. He pulled in a deep breath as he unwrapped the larger of the two and found himself holding a boxed set of books. A rather nice one if the packaging was any indication.

"Hermione told us you enjoy reading nearly as much as she does. That's the Lord of the Rings trilogy," her mother offered. "It's one of our family's favorites."

A slight smile tugged at his lips, the first in months. "Thank you," he nodded in return.

He placed the boxed set on the arm of the sofa and turned his attention to the other gift. He unwrapped it slowly, unaware of Hermione biting her lip and pausing her own unwrapping as she watched him.

Inside of the wrapped, flat box, he found a book clearly obtained from Flourish and Blotts. _Advanced Potion-Making and Rare Ingredients Explored by Thor Anderson_

"It was a hunch," she shrugged.

"Thank you," he told her sincerely. He glanced about the room at her parents. "Thank you all."

Her parents hugged him individually as he left that evening, a knot of bright confusion in his stomach. A knot because he couldn't untangle what he was feeling but bright because he knew it was good.

Hermione walked with him down the front steps, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she'd not taken a coat.

"Thank you," he said again. He was getting used to the taste of the word, nearly as much as the word sorry.

"You're welcome, Draco."

He shuffled the books under his arm and shrugged. "I don't know why you've forgiven me so easily and I don't think I'll ask. Not yet anyway. I'm sorry I don't have a present for you or your parents."

A slow smile curled her mouth. "You already gave it to us, Draco."

When he stared in confusion, she simply shook her head and approached him slowly. She didn't unfold her arms but carefully leaned up and pressed her lips to his cheek softly.

"Happy Christmas, Draco Malfoy."

Draco watched in a daze as she lowered to her heels and began to turn to go back inside. His mind fumbled for a response but hadn't a clue what to say.

"Hermione," he called.

She turned at the sound of her given name on his tongue. It was the first time.

Draco approached slowly and set his books on the clean walkway. He slipped his signet ring from his finger and reached for one of her hands. He set the warm ring in her palm and curled her fingers around it.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione Granger."

 _Five Years Later_

Draco Malfoy walked up the familiar walkway to the front door of the muggle home. He knocked three times as usual and waited with his hands in his coat pockets, his breath billowing out in front of him in the cold.

Her father answered the door and smiled widely when he saw him.

"Draco, come in, come in."

He smiled at Mr. Granger and wiped his boots before stepping inside. He hung his coat and followed the older man through the warm home and into the kitchen.

"No, not pink, mum. I hate pink."

"Hermione, what other color could you possibly choose?"

"Grass green," her daughter responded. "It's neutral."

"What in Merlin's saggy arse are you two discussing," Draco asked, both amused and bewildered.

Mr. Granger snickered at his colorful language having grown quite used to it over the years.

Hermione glared at him as she stood from the bar stool and approached. "Must you be so…"

"Loquacious," he offered with a smirk.

She leaned up to kiss him gently but smacked his chest lightly as she fell back to her heels. "Prat."

"Yours," her father reminded her with a grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes in annoyance and pulled Draco with her to the island where she and her mother had a pile of magazines and swatches of color spread.

"Isn't it a bit early to be planning all this," he whispered at her ear.

"Not at all," Mrs. Granger piped in. "She's safely past her first trimester and we must get a move on if we'll get the nursery decorated the way she wants it in time."

"Five months clearly isn't enough time," Hermione groaned as she leaned back against Draco's chest.

Draco didn't fight her when she wrapped his arms around her middle and sighed. He brushed his thumb over the rings on her left hand and spied his signet ring on the chain resting in her cleavage. (It was rather easy to see down her shirt with his height. A fact she first smacked him for informing her of years ago.)

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple as he swayed her in his arms gently, all the while her mother and father argued over the various shades of green.

"Harry and Ginny invited us to Christmas dinner at Grimmauld place this year," she informed him quietly as he continued to sway her body in his arms.

"What did you tell them?"

"That Christmas lunch is reserved for your mother and Christmas dinner is reserved for my parents but that we would be happy to join them Christmas Eve tomorrow. Harry said yes, of course. He and Ginny understand better than Ron does you know."

"I do," he nodded and pressed another kiss to her temple.

She sighed against him and he was certain she'd fall asleep standing up in his arms if he held her long enough. She'd been quite busy at work lately as it seemed her department at the Ministry would be lost without her.

"Thank you, Hermione," he whispered by her ear.

Neither noticed the warm looks her parents were giving them as they tried not to openly stare.

"Don't thank me, Draco. I love you."

But he couldn't help it. He was so very thankful.

"I love you, too," he whispered.


	39. Treat Her Well

**Because occasionally I enjoy a good lovesick Draco...**

* * *

 **Treat Her Well**

Everyone knew. Everyone had known for some time. Yet he never once acknowledged the truth of it. Didn't speak on it, nor did he try anything untoward to make his move.

Weasley was always glaring at him, shoving him away from her whenever the rodent felt he'd overstepped or gotten too close to her. He didn't comment. Never raised his wand against the arrogant, ginger bastard. But he did sneer.

What she saw in the tosser, he didn't know. However, as long as she was happy, he'd keep his mouth shut.

What he didn't know was that she'd been shocked at first when co-workers began to whisper their suspicions after they'd picked up on his behavior following their first year working together. She'd been disbelieving when she started to pay closer attention. She'd been annoyed over the last year when she began to compare his behavior to her boyfriend's and realized that Ron wasn't the caring and considerate partner her platonic co-worker seemed to be. She'd become confused in the last six months when she realized her feelings were shifting towards each of them.

It had started with mere politeness. He held doors open when he saw her coming, allowing her through first. At the time, she merely inclined her head in a polite nod of thanks. When he picked up on her coffee habits and their paths crossed in the morning, he'd pour her a cup first, adding the desired sugar and cream before silently handing it to her with a polite nod of acknowledgement. He never smirked, didn't sneer, just inclined his head. He was so quiet these days. Only with others did she see that smirk and mostly only at Ron did she see him sneer when he didn't think she was looking.

She'd begun to greet him with a friendly smile when he made an effort to help her with the additional paperwork her boyfriend caused her every time he racked up another infraction when on assignment, even though it wasn't his job and he didn't have the training for it like she did. However, he did her filing so she wouldn't get behind with the addition of the extra reports she needed to write.

He even bit his tongue on insults when the bloody auror misstepped on protocol another time. She'd rant to him as he filed and he would nod along. She wasn't wrong after all. It was poor character to admonish the victims for being too emotional to recall certain facts with great detail.

The mark on his arm was an ever present reminder of why he was so willful and resigned to admiring her from afar. He had no shame in that he now did. Far past his views on the differences in blood.

The first time he timidly asked her if he could join her for lunch in the canteen, wanting to know about a certain muggle author, had sealed his certainty on his feelings for the witch. She'd smiled so brightly and welcomed him so openly when others still kept their distance. The way she'd started chattering excitedly about the woman's books and political views entranced him.

He didn't seek her out socially often as he didn't wish to have her deal with her jealous boyfriend's arguing. It wasn't like she was likely to cheat, and certainly not with him.

However, people talked. The entire Magical Law Enforcement department and possibly most of the Ministry knew that pureblood auror Draco Malfoy was foolishly in love with his supervisor, muggle-born Hermione Granger—possibly soon-to-be Weasley if the rumors were to be believed.

And as he sat on yet another bland and shallow date which his mother had set up, he became more and more resolute in his goal to remain a bachelor and end the Malfoy bloodline with himself.

Perhaps he could donate his fortunes to some charitable cause in his will. A foundation supporting werewolf rights maybe?

It didn't matter really. Anything was better than marrying a pureblood socialite, as his mother still believed would interest him, and producing snobbish heirs in the traditional fashion.

That all being said, he was quite surprised by the hubbub amongst his co-workers when he arrived one Friday morning. Never feeding into gossip since the war, he hadn't a clue what the disruption was but he merely shrugged and unpacked his briefcase.

With a wave of his wand, his reports from the previous day's arrests vanished from his desk, destined for her office. He got to his feet and made his normal trip to Potter's office, ready to take on his list of the least desired missions for the day. That was generally the way of things.

Potter wasn't especially undemocratic but he and Draco had a silent understanding of sorts. Draco took the mess no one else wanted and therefore the department ran smoothly. Potter could keep the harmony and everyone let Draco work in peace. The few missions that required a partner, Potter joined him as Smith, Finnegan, and Finch-Fletchly refused to do so.

When he arrived at Potter's office, he stopped short of entering and hovered in the doorway.

Harry stood between them, his back facing Hermione as an arm curled behind him to hold her close. He faced Ron Weasley in a protective stance, wand drawn at the man.

"Ron, I'm warning you now," he spoke coldly to his other best friend, "put your bloody wand down or I swear to you I'll release Hermione and I'm not at all above turning a blind eye to whatever she does to you afterwards."

"I told you both," he growled, "I didn't kiss the bloody witch, _she_ kissed _me_. It's not like I'm inciting others' affections all day long. Not like her with bloody Malfoy!"

Draco, not expecting that, inhaled a sharp breath. For the last few years, the trio had seemed to mostly ignore his growing feelings for the witch, even when he'd really not done anything to be overtly obvious beyond just being friendly and civil. At least that had always been his take on things.

Having heard their audience, Ron turned and met his eyes. The lanky ginger turned his wand then on Draco and glared.

" _You!_ You've been after my bloody girlfriend for years now! Don't think I haven't noticed—I've only kept quiet to avoid her anger. But she bloody well encourages you!"

Draco muttered a quiet muffliato after that, assuming they didn't want the rest of the office to hear more than they already had.

Hermione pushed out from behind Harry to face her boyfriend. Her eyes were narrow in a glare and she looked to be practically sparking with her fury.

"I've done absolutely nothing of the sort! He's bloody _nice_ to me. Is it a crime to be kind, Ronald? I can't speak for his feelings about me but I can assure everyone present that he's made not one move on me."

She paused as she drew in a breath meant to calm her but with the way Ron was still seething and Draco's blank stare, she grew further agitated.

" _You_ …you take me for granted. Your own mother has even said so! Your sister has been encouraging me to break it off with you for ages but I, being the loyal person I am, couldn't do it. You'd get over it, I said. You merely needed time, I said. But no! Now I find you're out cavorting with women in the bloody pub and lying about going upstairs with one of them? It's _over_ , Ronald! Over!"

"Hermione," he pleaded, his face suddenly paling.

Draco almost wanted to snort at the pathetic way his emotions transformed and the tosser went from indignant to practically on his knees.

 _Perhaps if you'd realized what you had and kept it in your trousers_ , he groused silently. He made to leave the scene but halted when Potter shook his head. Instead, he'd be forced to watch as she dealt with her poor excuse of a boyfriend.

"No! You lied to me, Ronald. You told me you were going to meet with Seamus at Florean Fortescue's to talk about the new intramural season. That doesn't explain how you ended up at the Leaky Cauldron and then with your bloody cock buried balls deep in some fangirl!"

Draco's eyes widened at her rare use of vulgar language and he met Potter's equally surprised eyes. He watched then as Weasley turned a new shade of red, his hand turning white as he gripped his wand lowered at his side.

"Perhaps if you weren't so busy making googly eyes with Malfoy, maybe I wouldn't be looking elsewhere for satisfaction, Hermione!"

Draco's mouth dropped open a fraction but he quickly snapped it shut. He stumbled when Weasley shoved past him, casting him a scathing look and a vulgar hand gesture. The blonde watched dumbly as his co-worker stomped off down the hall and out of the office.

He feared facing his other two co-workers after that ugly display but slowly turned to them, hoping desperately that he'd be dismissed. He liked his quiet existence. It was the most peace his soul had ever had since the war and didn't much like the idea of being dragged into this mess.

He swallowed thickly as she stared at the tiled floor, her chest heaving with what might have been either hurt or anger.

"Come in, Malfoy," Harry commanded quietly.

Draco did so and quietly shut the door behind himself. He stood at attention and waited for further instruction.

Harry gestured to himself and then each of them. "This stays here, understood?"

"Noted, Potter," he nodded.

The spectacled man nodded and then sighed tiredly. He glanced at his friend next. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I swear neither Ginny nor I knew. I only found out this morning when Neville told me Hannah had seen them."

She nodded and met his eyes finally, a small smile playing at her lips. "I know, Harry. Really, I—I think I'm relieved in some odd way."

Draco snorted before he could stop himself and then quickly bit down on his lips.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and then returned her friend's attention again.

"It's been a long time coming anyway. He's become obnoxious and pushy. And frankly, I think I'd lost interest a while ago now. No excuse for not ending it on my part but…well, relationships like this become habitual after a while." She leaned up to kiss Harry's cheek and smiled up at him. "I'll be fine, honest. I am angry with the prat, however."

Harry nodded in understanding, "As you should be. He should've ended things if that's how he felt. There's no excuse for cheating. And don't worry. Ginny's already informed Molly. She'll likely be waiting at his flat when he gets home today, just itching for the opportunity to berate him face to face."

She laughed lightly and nodded. She moved to leave but stopped by Draco. She wrapped her hand around his forearm and gave him a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you," she told him and left without another word.

Harry sighed once she was gone and finally met his gaze again.

"Here's your mission list for the day, Malfoy."

Draco stepped forward and accepted the piece of parchment. He glanced over the list quickly before his head shot up in question.

"Finnegan will be pissed, Potter."

Harry waved a dismissive hand. "I have a suspicion that he knew where Ron went last night after they met. I'm not entirely convinced this is a one off thing either." He shrugged, "And you've put up with a lot. You deserve it and the promotion. It's time I put some people in line."

Draco nodded silently and began to turn to leave when Potter spoke again.

"If she decides she's interested, Malfoy—and I wouldn't expect her to know for a while—you treat her like she deserves. I won't take kindly to her being mistreated a second time."

The blonde swallowed and gave another sharp nod, not trusting himself to speak in case he said something snarky.

As he'd said, Finnegan was furious and had taken it upon himself to accuse Draco of some rather unsavory methods of obtaining his new promotion and taking on some of Seamus' more desirable work. However, Draco folded his hands placidly on his desk while the Irishman made an arse of himself.

Hermione had watched with pursed lips before she finally piped in, calling her former housemate into her office for what Draco felt couldn't have been a pleasant conversation.

He watched over the next two months as she and her ex tip-toed around one another, trying desperately to be civil after he tried groveling at her feet—once he realized the ramifications of his actions and words. However, she'd not been interested in trying to save their relationship.

It was nearly four months after the incident when Draco received a bit of parchment on his desk. There was no signature but he recognized the handwriting immediately.

He'd debated how to respond but instead found himself rising early Sunday morning and traipsing into Muggle London. He found the small bistro with little trouble, having made numerous trips into the Muggle side over the last few years, and found her seated quietly at one of the tables on the covered patio. The sun didn't seem intent to rise and London remained clouded over.

He took a moment to observe her without her knowing. She sat with a book open in front of her, a cup of tea steaming on the side. Her curls which were normally pinned up at work, remained free and floating about her shoulders. He'd overheard her once explaining her intense haircare regimen to Susan Bones and knew that she had a delicate way of keeping them tamer than they had been at school. However, he felt he'd like to run his hand through them regardless. She'd taken great care to pin them back from her eyes.

She'd shed her coat on the back of her chair and appeared to be in her casual jeans and a fitted blouse. She looked quite proper but still muggle in her attire.

He wondered vaguely what his mother would think but knew it really didn't matter.

After a few more moments, he approached and waited behind the chair opposite her until she noticed his arrival.

"Oh good, you came," she smiled at him.

Draco nodded and removed his coat as well before taking the seat. A server popped over before either could speak and asked for his order. He surprised Hermione with his quick choice, not even cracking open the menu.

"You've been here before," she asked once the server was gone.

"A bit," he nodded towards her book. "It's a good place to read and the food is tolerable."

She shook her head at his description and closed her book around her bookmark.

"I've been meaning to talk to you for a while but…well, it didn't seem proper to do it so soon after the way he and I ended things."

Draco licked his lips and tried not to allow himself to hope. He'd been struck with a sense of hopefulness once she broke it off with Weasley but after hearing nothing the first month, he assumed she wasn't interested. It wasn't like he didn't think she knew the rumors about his feelings. Or that they were true.

Even so, he knew that hope was fruitless anyway. It would never work between them. However, he'd just wanted for once for her to actually see him. More than an acquaintance. It was stupid but he couldn't help what he felt.

He cleared his throat and toyed with the napkin he'd spread on his lap. "Pardon me, Granger—"

"Hermione," she corrected him quickly.

He nodded, "Hermione." He had to take a deep breath after uttering her name aloud. It still tasted intimate and forbidden all at once. "But why am I here? You said you wanted to talk to me but you didn't indicate why in your note."

She smiled demurely as she glanced down at her cup and then met his eyes again. "You're not daft, Draco. And nor am I. I didn't invite you here to tease you. I know how you feel about me and have for some time." When he took a visibly deep breath to calm his hammering heart, she continued. "I didn't believe it at first of course. I thought everyone was absolutely barmy when they kept telling me you fancied me. I mean, you were horrible to me in school. And," she glanced briefly at his covered forearm where his faded mark was and he quickly moved his hand under the table to hide it even though she couldn't actually see it.

"I've apologized profusely," he muttered uncomfortably. If this was why he was here, to be reminded why it was foolish to have fallen for her, then he could have just stayed home.

However, she smiled sweetly and continued, "You have and you were quite lovely about it. You're a changed man, Draco. Everyone knows that, even those who don't want to give you the credit for it."

"That still doesn't explain why I'm here," he reminded her.

She sighed and he noticed that she'd not applied much makeup that morning. He liked her best that way.

"I invited you here because I wanted to talk about how _I_ feel about _you_." She shook her head and swallowed against her dry throat. "I like you, Draco. I like you more than a co-worker. I liked you more than I should for someone who'd been in a committed relationship until just recently. If you haven't changed your mind about me, then I was hoping you might be interested in exploring what could be between us."

Their server returned with their food before he could respond and Hermione watched as he paused to thank the woman. Ron had never done that. He just kept chattering away as if the person waiting on their table didn't exist.

Poor manners, her mother had said.

Draco met her eyes then, somehow maintaining his calm. "There's just one problem there."

Her heart sank a fraction at that. Perhaps even though he'd had feelings for her for some time, he'd never actually intended to act on them. Perhaps she still wasn't acceptable for him to date. She felt a bit stupid for not considering that angle before now.

He noticed when she averted her eyes from his and then realized what conclusion her mind might have drawn.

"Not that," he added quickly, thankful when she met his eyes again. "It's just…my mother…she doesn't understand dating. Traditionally," he paused to roll his eyes, "we court with the intention of marriage. It would be unfair of me to ask you to do that when that's not your tradition. It's archaic and I fully understand that. It's why I've never gone on more than one date with any of the witches she sets me up with. I didn't want it to get to that step."

Hermione nodded unsurely and reached for her fork. He didn't know what to make of it when she shifted topics entirely and began asking him about his hobbies. He'd been a bit baffled but obliged her, informing her about his potion-making and his frequent trips around the world on his vacations searching for old texts to add to the library.

She snorted quite adorably at that and informed him that it sounded a bit like muggle-antiquing but merely called him a collector.

She reciprocated when she told him about her hobby of joining her mother on said antiquing trips, even though she herself hadn't purchased much over the years, and they discussed her own book collections which included muggle authors of course.

They spent another hour swapping opinions on politics and social dynamics. Clever as always, he couldn't help but still enjoy her conversation.

When the check arrived, the server handed it to him without a thought. She tried to protest considering they were in Muggle London and she'd not expected him to keep copious amounts of British currency on him. However, when he produced a muggle bankcard, she'd shut her mouth entirely.

"Thank you for paying," she commented as they left together, stopping on the sidewalk to say their goodbyes.

"You're welcome," he nodded.

It was exhilarating knowing that she returned his attraction but naturally disappointing to know that he didn't have a chance. Bloody parental expectations. His mother had long told him she cared not what background his wife came from but expected him to treat the witch accordingly.

Hermione fidgeted on her feet as she gathered her coat about her. It was beginning to mist just the slightest.

"Draco," she asked suddenly.

"Yes?" He was curious as she met his eyes, biting the corner of her lip nervously.

"If—if I accepted knowing what I was getting myself into, would you be interested?"

He blinked at her owlishly, "Getting into what?"

"A proper courtship…like your mother expects of you."

He held his breath for a moment, unsure he'd heard her right. She couldn't be serious. Muggle-borns didn't enter courtships. It was old fashioned and stuffy. He hated it but with all he and his mother had been through, he didn't have the heart to disappoint her by going against that tradition she held so dear.

"I—you'd _want_ to," he asked dumbly.

"I think so," she nodded. "I've only ever done a little reading about these traditions. What exactly are the parameters?"

He nearly smirked at her studious nature and question but he didn't want to deter her by making her think he was teasing her for her lack of knowledge.

"What sort of parameters are you imagining," he asked first.

She shrugged self-consciously. "I mean, it sounds sort of stuffy. Ron always accused me of being a prude but…I mean can we even kiss each other?"

One corner of his mouth did turn up then and he stepped forward slowly. He leaned down and lifted her chin with one hand before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. He felt her free hand reach up to circle his wrist before they pulled apart. Her brown eyes had darkened a fraction as she met his and he found himself rather surprised when she lifted on her toes and pressed her lips to his for another kiss. Chaste but intimate, she kissed him softly before giving his lower lip the gentlest suck before she pulled back entirely, falling back on her heels.

"You taste of spearmint," she commented dazedly.

He nodded his head, unable to tear his eyes from her chocolate ones. "Yes. My toothpaste."

She nodded, still looking a bit taken aback. "So I'm allowed to kiss you then. What else?"

He couldn't believe his ears. She was still interested. "Traditionally, we'd wait until the wedding for sex."

At twenty-two, he was mildly embarrassed to admit that he'd never gone that far with a woman. By the time the hormones were raging and would normally make him curious as his friends were, he'd been assigned a task that he'd thought had sealed his fate with death. Girls had been the last thing he'd been worried about that year and the year after.

By the time the war was over, no witch would touch him, let alone let him touch them. He was of courting age now anyway. It took time working at the Ministry and on Potter's team before women began to look at him with interest again. Of course his mother took advantage of this and began setting him up on dates, intent to find his wife.

Unfortunately, by that time he'd also begun falling in love with Hermione Granger.

Coming back to himself, he watched as she glanced at her feet, a blush washing her cheeks as she met his eyes again.

"That wouldn't be a problem."

One pale brow rose on its own accord and he recalled her comment about Weasley calling her a prude.

"I want to," she corrected quickly. "It's not that I don't want or think about sex but…I'd always wanted to be in love first."

Draco felt his heart nearly thump out of his chest at that admission. "You never loved him?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, I tried. I really did. People expected us to be together but…it never felt right. If I'm going to share all of myself without someone, I want to be in love. And I want to _be_ loved. I don't think that he ever loved me, or at least not the way that I needed him to."

"I've never been with anyone either," he admitted, hoping to assuage her nerves about the subject. When her eyes widened, he added, "Don't think for a second I don't think about it. Or that I haven't imagined making love to _you_." When her blush deepened but she didn't scold him, he continued. "The war was starting when we were the right age for experimenting. Then…well no witch in her right mind would have had me."

He watched as her eyes trailed curiously over his form from head to toe.

"Well, they weren't making their decision based on looks at least."

A smirk curled his lips and she bit her lip after her bold confession.

"Are there muggle traditions different from ours I should know about," he asked. If she was willing to do this for him, he certainly would do what he could for her as well.

She shook her head, her blush finally beginning to fade. "Not especially. You observe all of the important ones."

Draco nodded and then extended his arm. "Can I walk you home?"

She nodded her head and moved to loop her arm through his.

Private dates in Muggle London would follow but neither would truly comprehend just the monumental moment they'd just had. While he'd fear that her accepting him would label her negatively, it was only the opposite. Her reputation was too concrete and instead people were more interested in what made him worthy enough of her attention. Only Rita Skeeter dared to question her judgment and after a minor backlash of howlers sent to the paper, the Prophet published a retraction article.

His mother was thrilled when he informed her of the news. She waved her hands dismissively when he asked if her heritage was going to a problem, needing assurance that his mother would truly be accepting of her.

Narcissa sat her son down and had quite the discussion about family history and her own anger towards his late father. She admitted to not being the most well-versed on muggles or their culture but assured him she'd accept Hermione without question.

 _"You've suffered so much, Draco. I merely want you to be happy._ " She told him.

Potter had sat him down for a talk and while he approved, he basically threatened to hex him within an inch of his life should he hurt her. However, the wizard smiled at him before he left his office and made him promise to eventually join him and his wife on a double date.

They kept things quiet the first couple of months, only having their dates in Muggle London so as to avoid the press. However, a rogue photographer caught them as he kissed her goodnight on her doorstep one evening and they woke up to find themselves splashed across the entire front page of the Daily Prophet.

Hermione showed the strength and courage which had put her in Gryffindor and walked calmly down the Ministry halls, not bothering to rise to anyone's bate or questioning. Neither changed anything about the way they worked together and it was because of that that Kingsley ignored any protests about them continuing to work in the same department.

Draco had a sneaking suspicion that those protests had come from either Weasley or Finnegan.

Weasley hadn't muttered a word to him but had eventually wished Hermione well. It was truly the best that could have been hoped for really.

She was, thankfully, everything Draco had thought she would be. She kept him constantly interested and challenged him in a way no other woman had before her. He only hoped he lived up to her expectations of him.

However, he shouldn't have been worried. She was beyond smitten with him, as Ginny liked to tease her about mercilessly.

It was her parents who were most confused when she told them about her relationship, or courtship really. Her mother had quirked a curious brow at her daughter but Hermione assured them that it wasn't a decision she'd made lightly. More so, she was in love with him.

It was that declaration which ended their worries. In all her years of dating Ron and having him over for dinner, they knew for certain their daughter had not been in love with the ginger wizard.

When Draco was invited over for dinner then he nearly worked himself into a fit trying to make certain he said and did the right things. But when he showed up with a bottle of wine and a small flower arrangement her mother had been nearly as smitten with the blonde and her father was impressed with his intellect and the fact that it was Draco to first address his past transgressions.

It was on her doorstep that night after he walked her home that she finally said it.

"I love you, Draco."

Hermione watched as he swallowed and was unprepared when he leaned down and kissed her urgently. She smiled against his mouth and stood on her toes to reach him better—he was nearly as tall as Ron after all.

Draco groaned when he felt her fingers in his hair as she cupped his head to her. He learned early on that she loved the feel of his short hair and enjoyed running her fingers through the fine strands.

And she also loved to be snogged. She wasn't the prude Weasley had accused her of being. She loved to snog and more than once he'd found himself seated on her sofa with his witch grinding against him faintly while she snogged all sense out of him.

He pulled away from her finally when the need to breathe became urgent. She licked her lips as he leaned away from her, missing his touch already.

"Marry me," he breathed. "Be my wife, Hermione."

She smiled at him slightly, "You haven't told me you loved me yet, you prat."

She watched as he leaned back down to her and pressed a kiss first to her forehead. "I," he whispered. Another kiss to the tip of her nose. "Love." A soft, lingering kiss to her mouth. "You."

"Yes," she breathed when he pulled back to meet her eyes.

Draco had had the ring for a month already, waiting for when the time was right. Watching the look on her face when he slid it on the appropriate finger was something he knew he'd remember for the rest of his life.

It was that look, or something similar to it, which reappeared every time they met someone while planning their wedding. Her cheeks would flush, her teeth pulling at the corner of her lower lip as she fought to control her grin.

Merlin, but she was proud to be with him. He never in a million years after the war had imagined that anyone, especially her, would think that way of him.

His mother was ecstatic as were her parents. The first meeting was the oddest thing but went off without a hitch. It was hard not to laugh at how strange it was to watch his mother interact with muggles. They were less fascinated by her as they'd seen their fair share of witches and wizards while accompanying Hermione to Diagon Alley growing up.

For the first time in years things were going blissfully well for Draco.

All until they made their first appearance together in Diagon Alley after the news had spread of the engagement and details of their relationship spread like fiendfyre. They'd left Neville Longbottom's magical flower shop after Hermione chose her arrangements. Longbottom had gone so far as to shake Draco's hand excitedly, years of bullying seemingly swept under the rug.

She'd wanted ice cream and he never could tell her no. It was as they were leaving Florean Fortescue's as she insisted on feeding him a bite of her earl grey and lavender concoction that they ran into her ex and his mother.

"Hermione," Mrs. Weasley gushed as she pulled the young woman into a tight hug. She held her at arm's length when they pulled apart and smiled wide. "Not eating enough, dear. You're just too thin."

Hermione laughed lightly and shook her head, "I'm eating fine, I promise."

She glanced to the side and spotted Ron shuffling from foot to foot awkwardly. He nodded in her direction before catching Draco's eyes. The two men shared a glare but for Hermione's sake kept their mouths shut.

Mrs. Weasley either remained blissfully ignorant of the two of them glaring at one another or she didn't care. She did shoot her son a look of warning, knowing that his friendship with Hermione still hadn't been able to recuperate from the nasty break.

"Ron, won't you go ahead and pick up my order from Madam Malkin's?"

Hermione watched nervously as he eyed her before nodding silently and trudging off to do as his mother had asked.

"I'm still terribly sorry for the way things ended, dear but you do seem quite happy," she smiled kindly at the couple.

"I am," Hermione insisted with a relieved smile. She was unaware of the way Draco's nerves eased when the woman didn't make some uncomfortable comment about wishing things _hadn't_ ended between Hermione and her son. Because some people had been brash enough to say so in front of him and it felt bloody horrible. Didn't help his irritation with the weasel either.

Draco watched as the two women hugged and then accepted Hermione when she stepped back to his side comfortably.

"Treat her well," Molly Weasley winked conspiratorially at him.

"I will," he promised. And he meant it.

She patted his arm kindly and took her leave of them.

Hermione managed to loop her arm through his and still eat her ice cream as they resumed their walk out of the Alley.

"And you treat me very well, Draco," she told him with a smile.

"You're worth it," he told her. And he meant that, too.


	40. Promises

**Promises**

Hermione sat pressed up against the cold wall of the dungeon cell breathing deeply as she tried to control her internal panic. She glanced warily to her right at her two best friends in the next cell and grimaced. Harry's face was still marred but quickly recovering from her spell and Ron looked about ready to throttle someone.

When Draco had not positively identified them, they'd dragged them down to the depths of the manor and threw them into holding cells. She didn't fail to notice that she'd been put in one alone which could only mean they meant to make an example of her.

"We need a plan," Ron hissed next to Harry.

"What do you suggest," Hermione bit back venomously. "They have our wands. Probably snapped mine by now."

"You grew up in the muggle world. Surely you can think of something that doesn't involve magic," Ron argued but with less heat.

"With what, Ronald," she sighed. "My hair tie and a bobby pin? I'm not bloody MacGyver!"

"Mac- _who_?"

Hermione opened her mouth to explain but stopped abruptly when the sound of boots on the damp stone steps caught her attention. She bit her lip against the fear that quickly scrawled past her chest and curled low in her gut as she scrambled to stand up against the wall at her back.

This was it. They'd kill her first for sport and then call the Dark Lord to finish Harry off. She'd failed miserably.

The trio huddled close in the corner of their separate cells and waited with baited breath until a shadowed figure moved quickly.

Draco appeared then with a lantern he hung on a rough nail in the hewn stone before he approached her cell. He scowled at the boys for a moment before his grey eyes met hers.

Harry and Ron watched in surprise when she sprung from the wall and met him at the front of her cell.

"What are you doing _here_ ," he hissed darkly.

Hermione wrapped her hands around the bars of the cell and leaned closer. "I'm sorry! Do you think I'd have planned this? We ran but we weren't fast enough."

Draco studied her face, dirt smeared in spots on her cheeks and her lower lip cut and a small bit of blood quickly drying there. His upper lip curled in disgust at the sight. He shook his head irritably before a strong hand shot between the bars and cupped the back of her head.

Hermione gasped against his mouth, no time to think before his lips crashed roughly against hers. He pulled and pushed roughly at her lips until his tongue found the cut. He slowed and made a point to lick the sore spot gently before he pulled back to meet her eyes again.

"What the bloody hell is this," Ron growled as he and Harry had jumped to their feet.

Hermione pressed her forehead against his chest through the bars and felt his arm curl further into what was effectively her cage and press comfortingly between her shoulder blades.

She'd missed his lips, missed his arms as he held her in darkened corridors and she cried into his expensive robes. She missed the tender way he would kiss her temple before sending her on her way, promises to continue to do his best not to fall any further into the Death Eaters' grasp.

She held onto the memory of when it all started, sometime after Christmas when he found her escaping Cormac's advances. Their assumed hatred had built into a crescendo until it had exploded along with their lips meeting in the most heated kiss. He'd spilled everything then, crying and holding onto her like a lifeline. He'd admitted his begrudging attraction and how she'd made him question everything he'd ever known. He'd made her promises and made her make some of her own.

Knowing and hiding how it felt to hear the morning after Dumbledore's death that he'd left with Snape, not knowing if he'd keep his promises as she intended to keep hers—it left her raw and angry.

It wasn't until she found her first note in the depths of the forest that she knew he had kept them. He kept watch. He tipped her off when he could.

She'd not intended to break one of hers. The most important one—don't get caught.

"What's it look like, Weasley," Draco sneered. He quickly turned his focus from the growing temper of the redhead to Harry whose face was now clear and recognizable again. "And you, Potter! You were supposed to keep her safe, you tosser! I'd off you myself if I could just for getting her captured."

"I don't understand," Harry finally spoke, shaking his head.

"Shocking," Draco rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to Hermione. "Kiss me and then I'll give you your wands. How you get out, they don't need to know."

Hermione leaned forward and once more pressed her mouth against his through the bars separating them and sighed when his hand came around and cupped her bruised jaw. He kissed her thoroughly, not minding her sputtering friends before he pulled back again, completely breathless.

Draco leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly before he tipped her chin up to meet her eyes. "Do _not_ get caught again, Hermione. I won't be there to save you next time."

Hermione's lower lip trembled as he stepped away and reached for his lantern again after thrusting their wands at her.

"I'll take you with us, Draco," she pleaded. "You're done for once they find out what you've done."

He gazed at her tiredly and shrugged his shoulders. "I was always done for, Hermione. It was just a matter of when." He glanced at her friends and sighed. "Take care of her, Weasley. And do you bloody job, Potter."

He ignored her whimpering protests as he trudged back up the steps and out of sight.


	41. Redemption

**I had kind of already planned a small follow up to the previous one shot. I just couldn't very well tell you guys that. ;) Please read and review. Thanks!**

 **Redemption**

Hermione gritted her teeth as she shot another hex behind her back and stunned one in front of her. The smell of burnt flesh and the heat was making her eyes water.

When the noise calmed and the fires simmered, a light misting rain fell on them as Harry stood triumphant. Death Eaters were gathered to one side but one blonde head peeking over the top of most on her side of the crowd caught her attention.

How had she not seen him? How had she not heard him or felt his presence?

Better question—how had he survived after he'd helped them escape?

She ignored the cheering, the crying, and the hugging as she pushed her way through the crowd. She didn't stop when people wanted to thank her or congratulate her for her part in ending the war. She had one goal in sight.

Draco caught her when she threw herself into his arms. He lifted her off her feet and wrapped her tightly in his arms as she began crying into his neck. He didn't dare make a sound of protest when her hands gripped into his hair tightly, not minding his sweat or grime. He merely relished holding her again after imagining he never would.

It was a long moment before she stopped crying long enough to pull back and meet his eyes. She bit back a gasp when she saw his face. Four long, freshly healed scars marred his pale left cheek. His left ear was marred horribly, part of the lobe missing.

Draco cringed when she finally noticed and closed his eyes so as not to see her disgust. He might be alive but he certainly wasn't whole. He wasn't enough, not what she very much deserved after all she'd been through.

He wasn't prepared when her fingertips stroked his new scars gently and less so when he felt her lips press firmly to his cheek. He shook slightly when her lips grazed what was left of his ear.

"He didn't bite you, did he," she whispered.

He didn't quite know how he managed to hear her over the noise of the crowd around them but he did. He opened his eyes to her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione."

Her eyes were warm as she drank him in and he wasn't prepared for the love he saw there. He groaned when she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his warmly. She kissed him as thoroughly as he'd kissed her that night in his family's dank dungeon.

She was like drinking in physical relief.

"I know how to brew the potion," she breathed against his lips, fingers now playing with short hair at the nape of his neck. Instead of recoiling as he'd expected, she only wrapped herself tighter around him, not giving him the opportunity or the chance to release her.

He took her in with weary eyes and nodded. He didn't deserve her but he also wasn't going to tell her what choices to make. And he had survived his punishment just for her after all.

After his trial, at which he was acquitted of all charges, people watched them when they were in public together. She wouldn't allow him to cower in the new townhouse he'd purchased to hide himself from the world. Instead, she held his hand as they walked side-by-side, making a point to publicly kiss him whenever someone gave him a less than kind look. She was territorial like that he learned, something she once privately admitted had surprised herself even. But he didn't mind. He quite liked to preen a little under her studious attention, despite his now less than stellar looks.

No one was particularly shocked when she accepted his marriage proposal some three years later. Nor were they surprised when, once she'd gained enough influence at the Ministry, she reduced the control over werewolves and made it so much easier for them to live normal lives. The same sort of normal she and her husband would soon enjoy with their new daughter once she was born.

Redemption often took many forms, sometimes in the form of scars.

Draco Malfoy learned to wear his proudly.


	42. His Choice

**Hi everyone, sorry I've been M.I.A. for a bit. I'm still lurking around the site and reading but mostly I'm attempting work on some of my own original writing at the moment which is actually pretty exciting. I hope to launch a blog later this year and finish my first original novel length story. It's always been a personal dream to write and have something published so we'll see if it's in the stars for me. :) In the meantime, here's a little lighthearted one shot. Thanks and I hope you'll leave a review.**

* * *

 **His Choice**

Draco Malfoy stood just within the doorway leading into his mother's gardens. He scowled as he stood there with his hands in his trouser pockets staring into the dark flora lit only by twinkling faery lights.

He glanced down at himself and snorted derisively. Astoria had turned her nose up when she'd seen his muggle suit upon entering the gala his mother was hosting in honor of the Ministry's decision _not_ to enact the marriage law they'd been tossing around within the last six months.

He smirked to himself when he thought of how the bleeding Ministry was actually getting what it wanted anyway. Upon news of the still slight rise in numbers over the last five years since the war, people had panicked at the idea of a forced marriage. It seemed new engagements were being announced left and right.

He focused his attention once more on the garden and the witch slowly emerging from behind the tall hedges. He watched as she wiped at her eyes, shoes dangling from her fingers as she padded along the grassy path on bare feet.

Draco stepped forward out of the darkness shrouding him and stood at the edge of the wide steps as he waited for her to notice.

Astoria had lashed out at the innocent women and it was his fault. He was responsible once more for her tears, something he'd sworn after the war to never have any part of again.

He knew exactly why Astoria had it out for her. It was perfectly clear to anyone who knew him well that he wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship with the blonde witch. It was why he wouldn't commit to a relationship and only pacified her and his parents with the occasional dinner date.

When whispers of the possible marriage law had begun circulating, his parents had started to press him to finally make a move and stop dallying. However, it only forced him to consider his own wants and needs.

He couldn't possibly be content living with someone so shallow and ill-tempered. Astoria was the perfect English lady in front of those that mattered. However, he'd seen her dark side. The way she belittled others to prop herself up, how she turned her nose down at his house elves and scared the poor creatures within an inch of their lives whenever her visits to the manor didn't proceed as she wished. He despised the way she flounced into the Ministry to visit him unannounced and with no regard for his job.

She'd be embarrassing as a wife. She'd be miserable as a partner. Worse so, he felt she likely didn't have a maternal bone in her body and even though his own example had been rubbish, he very much wanted to be a father someday.

Thus, it was clear then why his attention had wavered from her. It was very clear why he'd begun to consider his options. Options he'd once sworn off because he doubted the witch in question would return his interest.

People change. Or at least he had. Sneering and biting wit still present, he was quieter than most purebloods about his generosity and didn't feel the need to draw attention to his good deeds.

He inhaled sharply when she finally lifted her head and saw him standing there. He'd been curious about her most of his adolescence but in the last few years that curiosity had taken a turn towards attraction.

He fantasized about kissing her after their brief interactions at work. He woke alone in his bed after dreaming of her, hard and unable to stop his need to relieve the tension as he continued the fantasy in his head. He was ashamed and unable to meet her eyes those days when they crossed paths at work. Yet she smiled at him kindly as she was completely none the wiser.

She was always so kind and polite. She laughed at jokes that were no longer designed to cut but instead showcased his sarcastic and brilliant wit. She was stubborn and a bit self-righteous when she knew she was right. She was brilliant.

Draco's attention was firmly set on the one muggle-born witch he'd once sworn he hated.

"My apologies for Astoria's insults," Draco told her as he descended the steps to meet her as she finished her approach.

Hermione sniffed but offered him a weak smile. "You shouldn't apologize for someone else's atrocious behavior, Draco."

His blood heated when she said his name. Her voice and dialect had always been crystal clear and quite lovely truthfully.

He swallowed as he tamped down a wave of emotion that washed through him. He felt like a bloody teenager in her presence.

"Perhaps, but I feel responsible regardless."

He watched as she set her shoes down and then balanced on one foot to step back into the heels. His hand shot out quickly when her balance wavered and grasped her hand in his to hold her steady as she slipped her feet into the pristine shoes.

The faint blush colored dress was surely muggle as were the satin heels that matched. It was the perfect color for her pale skin and dark hair. He wanted so badly to reach out and touch her to see if her skin was as soft as the material appeared. Instead, he released her hand when she was balanced again.

"Thanks," she muttered. "But I don't see why you should be responsible. I know you're seeing each other—"

He snorted, "I assure you, we're not which is one reason she's feeling rather malicious this evening."

Hermione tipped her head curiously as she studied him. With her heels on again, she stood tall enough for the top of her head to meet his nose but he still towered over her.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I suppose I just assumed. Your parents seem rather keen on her and given the scare the Ministry gave everyone, I thought perhaps you'd be following suit. I can see then why she's upset if she had her hopes set on you asking but you're right, that doesn't explain why she lashed out at me in particular."

Draco inhaled deeply as his eyes trailed from hers and down to her lips. He licked his own unconsciously. All of their former classmates had come a long way but he still felt certain that Weasley and Potter would pummel him should he kiss her without her permission.

Instead, he held his breath as he reached up slowly with one hand and brushed a few curls that had escaped her demure chignon back behind her ear. His thumb brushed her earlobe tenderly on his hand's descent and he swore he felt her shiver faintly.

"She knows my interests have shifted," he supplied finally.

Hermione's eyes fluttered as his hand fell back to his side. With her heart in her throat, she had a difficult time swallowing.

She'd thought he'd been paying her extra attention lately but had dismissed the idea. They were friendly and got along fine as co-workers. However, he was still Draco Malfoy. He'd choose convention and the pureblood witch, surely.

Yet the idea of him being interested in her didn't turn her off like it certainly would have when they were children much in the same way that Ron being interested in her now didn't do anything for her as it would have then.

"Your father hates me," Hermione whispered.

Draco's mouth pulled into a sneer. "My father is a perfect example of the man I never want to be. I wouldn't put much thought into what he thinks of anyone, Hermione."

"But your mother seems to like Astoria."

He huffed at that and stepped closer to her. "My mother thinks she's vapid but supports me if I wish to pursue her. She has no idea that I have feelings for someone else or she'd likely change her tune. I'm not exactly an open book."

Hermione studied his grey eyes, momentarily mesmerized by how they weren't just one shade of grey but many.

"No, you're certainly not," she agreed, her own eyes guarded.

Draco nodded in understanding and reached down for her left hand. He held her gaze as he gently turned her hand palm up and then glanced down. He cradled her hand in one of his larger ones and slowly began to trace the lines along her palm.

"Forget anything I ever said to you growing up as I was an idiot. We can all agree about that. However, I think you're lovely. You're an absolutely brilliant interrogator and I've never seen anyone charm criminals into spilling the truth without the use of veritaserum the way you do." He met her eyes again to find her lips had parted the slightest and moisture was swimming in her brown eyes again. "I've grown to like that curly mane of hair and I wish you'd leave the bloody mess down more often at work. Those faint freckles across your nose are charming and I'd snog you absolutely senseless if you let me."

Hermione's breath rattled in her lungs as she watched him press a soft kiss to her palm before he released her hand.

"I've learned to enjoy your sense of humor," she admitted. "And I appreciate your need to do the right thing now." Her eyes tracked up to meet his and she found him staring intently, looking much like a caged beast. She squeezed her eyes shut then and felt her cheeks bloom with color. "You've featured in a lot of my dreams the last couple of years."

She gasped when she felt his warm breath ghost across her lips before his mouth connected with hers. He parted her lips gently and sucked softly at her lower lip.

Draco very nearly whined aloud at the feel of her soft mouth. She was sensual and not even trying which part of what attracted him to her so desperately.

He pulled back slowly after a few tender but heated moments and when she opened her eyes, she found her hands had betrayed her and had curled around the lapels of his suit possessively.

"Would you like to test reality?"

Hermione swallowed as she met his heated stare. She could hear her heart thudding in her ears as she licked her lips, not missing the moment his gaze dropped to follow the path of the tip of her tongue.

"Yes," she finally breathed and was rewarded with one of his more charming smirks.

Draco ignored the various stares and the tittering of witches gossiping behind their fans as he returned to the ballroom with Hermione Granger on his arm. He flat out ignored Astoria as well when he brought Hermione to formally greet his mother. As the two women conversed, the younger clearly surprised with the warm greeting from his mother, Draco eyed his father over the women's heads pointedly.

 _My choice_ , he seemed to be telling the older man.

Lucius, to his credit, frowned but kept his mouth firmly closed. Draco was the mouthpiece of the Malfoy family in this new era. It wouldn't do to upset his son so severely that he jeopardized their wellbeing.

Astoria attempted to cause a scene when Draco then next led Hermione out to share a dance, smirking all the way at the astonished expressions on her friend's faces. However, it was his mother that instructed the elves to keep the blonde witch in check.

"I like her for you, Draco," his Narcissa assured him before he could escort Hermione home later. "I don't care about her blood and your father can learn to get over it. I want you to be happy with your life and that very much includes the woman you choose to spend it with."

Draco glanced behind him to where he'd asked Hermione to wait only to find the woman crouched in her elegant gown, shaking hands with his personal elves and complimenting the blushing little things on their cooking.

He turned back to his mother with a rather gleaming smirk.

"Prepare for a wedding, mother. This one isn't going anywhere if things go as I hope."

Narcissa grinned at this order and watched then as he made his way back to Hermione, interrupting her conversation with their elves.

"Thank Merlin, he figured it out after all," she sighed.


	43. Mate

**Well hello there! Sorry that I've not posted in a while. I'm still lurking and reading but most of my free writing time is being diverted to my own original work. I'm hoping to finish a first draft in the next couple of months and then begin editing. I also hope to have a writing blog up soon where I'll share some of my original short stories and whatnot. In the mean time, I do come back to J.K. Rowling's characters to give myself a break from time to time. I hope you enjoy this fun little one shot below. Thanks for reading and I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts in the reviews. :)**

* * *

 **Mate**

Draco's grip on her hand tightened and he glanced down at the small witch next to him. She was fidgeting with her dress again and he felt his nerves settle some just looking at her. It was an odd sensation really. Just two months before he'd been snarling at her when he bumped into her in the coffee shop near his home in London. However, bumping into the witch the morning after his twenty-second birthday a week later changed everything.

Hermione stopped trying to straighten her dress when she felt his eyes on her. The navy material was clinging to her uncomfortably in the summer heat but it didn't warm her near as much as the look in his eyes right now. She swallowed hard and averted her gaze again as a hot blush painted her skin. He was undressing her with his eyes again, and oddly, she wasn't repulsed by it as she should have been.

She'd felt the pull as well the moment they collided in the bookshop. Her normal urge to be annoyed was quickly squelched when his hands grasped her shoulders to keep her from falling. Her stomach turned and her heart rate thrummed into overdrive when his hands touched her. The secret he'd been hiding was rather a lot to take in, especially when it involved Draco Malfoy revealing that he was half veela and he'd reached complete maturity on his recent birthday. That and the little fact that apparently she was his mate.

She could choose to allow the idiot who'd annoyed her since they were kids to waste away or she could accept him and, according to him, spend the rest of her life being doted upon and having the best sex she could ever imagine.

When he kissed her to prove his point, she quickly realized she didn't have a choice. The pull she felt to him only strengthened. They spent the rest of the day with each other trying to converse civilly for once and come to an agreement on how to proceed—that was all when he wasn't sneaking a kiss from her and distracting the normally focused witch.

Draco had done all he could to restrain himself from touching her. It only got worse the more they kissed and she refused to sleep with him just yet.

"Calm down, Granger. There's nothing they can say against us. You're my mate and that's all there is to it."

Hermione snorted rather inelegantly. "Right, and that will stop your family from referring to me as a mudblood."

Draco growled at the old slur he'd not used in years. He'd stopped thinking of her that way well before the war truthfully.

His grip on her left hand tightened, the diamond setting on the engagement ring he'd given her pressing into his hand harder. They were stuck together and there was no sense in hiding it. Asking her to marry him only seemed logical. She was independent but still a traditional sort. He figured she'd want stability and some sort of normalcy in spite of the odd way their relationship had formed.

He'd expected her to put him off since they were still quietly transitioning from casual, annoying acquaintances to romantic partners but she surprised him when she accepted.

Telling her friends had gone better than he'd thought and the worst he'd suffered was some severe ribbing from both Potter and Weasley. But the new need to please his mate led him to endure it with little of his usual retaliation. It was enough to convince the two that they were serious and this was no joke.

Hermione squeezed Draco's hand when she felt a shudder run through him. She didn't know exactly how he was resisting so well and she felt horribly guilty for making him wait to have her, to mark her. Yet she needed the time to adjust and feel some part of this was normal. It had taken a year and a half of dating Ron before they'd slept together and she'd not been with anyone else since their breakup.

"I'm ok," he assured her, though his tone wasn't very convincing.

Hermione pulled her hand from his and reached up to frame his face with her hands and pulled him down to her for a warm kiss. It usually seemed to help him control the urges and she felt the same confusing pull to take care of him as he did to take care of her.

She felt the quake run through him when he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her dating history was pretty much limited to Ron and it was odd being wrapped up by Draco Malfoy. The way he held her was different—gentle but possessive and strong—his body was leaner but full of hard muscle that she quickly found she liked. Even the way he kissed her scorched her senses in such a gratifying way that she wasn't used to.

It was when Draco decided to plunder her mouth with his tongue that the large double doors to the Manor swung open, a light cough tearing them apart from each other.

Narcissa Malfoy stood there, hands clasped demurely in front of her and an elegant, pale eyebrow ticked high on her forehead as she noted the closeness of the two.

"Draco, I see you've finally decided to formally introduce us." Her cool grey eyes landed on Hermione, causing the younger woman's back to straighten in challenge, and a tight smirk lifted her lips. "It seems you've already found your mate, dear. Considering the whispers amongst wizarding Britain, I've been waiting on pins and needles for you both to reveal yourselves. Won't you bring Miss Granger in to _properly_ meet your family?"

Narcissa watched studiously as her son reached out with decorous care to straighten the young woman's hair where he'd mussed it and deftly took her hand in his as he began leading them up the stone steps. He gave her a tight nod as they passed by her and she smiled to herself.

She passed by the younger couple and led them through the foyer and into the most immediate drawing room. She tried her best not to listen too closely to the hushed encouraging words her son was whispering to his mate to soothe her nerves. She knew all too well what the woman's last visit to their home had been like and was rather surprised he'd been able to convince her to return for the purpose of revealing their connection officially. Though she shouldn't have been too shocked, the girl had been a Gryffindor after all.

"Have a seat, won't you," she gestured toward the chaise opposite her own chair.

Draco took a seat next to Hermione, careful to sit as closely as he could without being too obvious. The need to mark her was ever present but he refused to cross that line until she was ready, even if it was after the blasted wedding. Her wants and needs had overtaken his own the moment they'd first touched in that coffee shop.

Hermione tried her best not to fidget under his mother's attention and sat rigid next to him.

"I must admit that I didn't see this being the end result but Draco could certainly do worse."

The witch fought the urge to snort derisively but figured that was about as close to a compliment as you got in his family.

"Thank you, I think."

Narcissa offered a kinder smile. "Pardon me, Miss Granger. I only meant that given your history, it's a bit surprising. However, I assure you that the past will be forgotten. My son's happiness and health are of the utmost importance to me. If you're the key to that then there's just no question about it."

"And father," Draco asked.

His mother scowled at that and sighed. "Your father…will have nothing negative to say. The veela genes are his after all so he can't very well take issue with the matter. But he's in his study. I'm sure he'll join us for dinner."

Hermione fought the urge to fidget both at the reminder that she would soon be a part of this family, Lucius Malfoy as her father-in-law, and the way that Draco's mother was eyeing her up from head to toe.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at the couple and gestured between them. "Draco, you've not marked her yet, have you?"

Hermione swallowed and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. How the hell did she know?

Draco drew a slow breath through his nose. "Not that it's any of your business, mother, but no. Not yet."

The older woman turned her focus to Hermione again. "You do realize once he's found you he can only go so long without making it official. He _has_ to mark you, Miss Granger. If not…"

Hermione felt Draco's metaphorical hackles rising with his temper as his mother lectured her. She reached over to squeeze the knee closest to her.

She was well aware of the need to make their bond official. It was technically possible for him to mark her with just a bite but all of her research indicated that it was most bearable for the mate when done during intercourse.

"He's been respecting my wishes. That's why we're here actually." She felt his nerves calm as she gripped his knee through his trousers. She chose to ignore the way his mother's eyes followed the action. "I've agreed to go ahead with marrying him. We can't ignore the pull from each other so it only seemed logical."

For the first time, Narcissa noticed the ring on the younger witch's hand and fought to stop her surprised reaction. She hadn't expected Draco to move so fast, let alone for the woman to agree to it. It was a slight relief though. She wouldn't have to agonize over her son's wellbeing now.

"And you need someone to organize the event," Narcissa asked, a hopeful note in her tone.

"Nothing ostentatious," Hermione asserted quickly. "Preferably something small with family and friends only. I'm not one for extravagance, no matter what family I'm marrying into."

The older witch pursed her lips disappointedly at that but nodded all the same. "Consider it done. If you'll meet with me to discuss your preferences, I'll have it organized and you won't need to distract from your work." She glanced at Draco, "I assume she'll continue to work even after the wedding."

Draco gave her an incredulous look. "Even if I did think to stop her, it wouldn't do me any good. I promised her this would change nothing about her professional life. I don't want to take that away from her. I've already taken away her ability to choose her spouse."

The words spilled from his mouth more easily than they once would have or if she'd been any other woman. However, his veela instincts were quite intent that she be mollified in all manners. That had included to conceding that she keep her surname. He'd venture into that revelation on a later visit without his mate by his side to avoid the tantrum his father would no doubt throw.

Narcissa only nodded however, not surprised by how easily her son seemed to be conceding to his mate's every whim. Her gaze narrowed on the witch though.

"I do hope you realize the magnitude of power you actually hold over my son, Miss Granger. I can only ask you don't abuse it."

Draco glanced quickly out of the corner of his eyes and wasn't shocked in the least to see the horrified expression that had come over Hermione's face at such a request.

"Of course," she sputtered, mildly offended. "I don't know what you take me for, Mrs. Malfoy but I'm not the manipulative type." Her brown eyes narrowed then in challenge. "I do believe that would be your lot. Manipulation and cunning are often hallmark traits for Slytherins."

Narcissa bit her cheek to avoid saying anything in argument. In reality, she knew it was true. And if the woman's reputation was accurate then she was the least likely person to knowingly manipulate Draco. Truly, they should be thankful it had been her.

"Mother," Draco prodded gently, "Hermione and I have discussed this at length. She understands the situation."

"Precisely," Hermione sniffed indignantly and Draco fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was only just getting used to not just being around her but _wanting_ to be in her presence while not finding her entire person horribly irritating. "We intend for this to be a relationship, not a dictatorship," she added primly.

Narcissa merely nodded as she smoothed out the skirt of her robes. Draco's hand closest to the witch was now wrapped around her waist and he'd begun pulling her unknowingly closer. She sighed to herself. This would have to be a short engagement then or poor Draco might combust.

"Well, with all that being out of the way I'm going to see what's keeping your father. Excuse me."

Hermione sagged with relief once the witch was gone but her moment of peace was short lived. Draco grabbed her nearly as soon as his mother was out of sight, dragging the witch across his lap and pressing his mouth to hers hotly to pick up where they left off on the doorstep.

"Hmph," she brought her hands up to his shoulders to stabilize herself while he kissed her.

The connection was getting stronger and she knew without a doubt the wedding would have to be soon or Draco would likely lose his mind over her. Her normal instincts told her to chastise him for his lack of decorum. They were in his parents' home about to have dinner with them for Merlin's sake! However, a bubble of guilt gurgled in her gut every time she felt how much he needed her…and wanted her. It was rather intoxicating to be wanted so badly.

"Dra-Draco," she managed to push herself away enough to speak. She needed to ask him something and needed his full attention.

Draco licked his swollen lips as he reached up to brush stray curls behind her ear. There was a tenderness in the gesture that Hermione still hadn't come to terms with and it both warmed and unsettled her.

She swallowed as she brushed her fingertips over his shirt, her eyes unable to meet his now that she was about to ask a question she'd been avoiding for some time. She couldn't hold back any longer.

"I know…" She sighed, "I know that it's the veela within you that wants me and I'm not complaining but…do you think _you_ will ever want me, too?"

Draco felt his heart plummet to his stomach at her question. He could feel her discomfort and the slight ache she experienced when she asked him that question. Truly, he could feel nearly everything she felt and at one time he might have thought such a gift to be a curse to share with any woman and yet now having experienced it, he couldn't say the same anymore.

He tipped her chin up to meet his eyes and leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on her swollen lips. "I already do, Hermione."

He felt her relief as much as she obviously read the sincerity in his claim.

"Promise," she asked weakly and he realized now that he, too, had power to hurt her if he chose it.

"Swear on my wand," he assured her as he gathered her impossibly closer. "You frustrate me still with that sharp tongue of yours and I have no doubt you'll continue to chastise me at every turn but you're also one of the most sincere people I've ever met. Not difficult when most of your friends were in Slytherin, mind you." He smirked when he managed to elicit a small laugh from her. "The veela instincts have only made things clearer. If I'd ever stopped thinking of myself and focusing on old grudges, I'd have likely approached you much sooner on my own."

He squeezed her hip in his hand to make her look at him again, nearly undone by the sight of her biting that lower lip he desperately wanted to suck on again. "Do you think you'll ever want me outside of our connection?"

A deep blush rose on her cheeks as she nodded. "I already do as well. You're a right git and don't think I'll let you forget it but you're also far more than I ever expected."

He hummed low in his throat in appreciation as he leaned in and took her lips in a much slower kiss. She moaned in response and the veela instincts felt rather pleased as long as she was happy.

"Do be courteous enough not to attack your fiancé in public, Draco," Lucius drawled dryly.

Hermione pushed at his chest gently, her cheeks blushing darker now as they'd been caught by his parents who now stood in the open doorway.

"Dinner is ready," his mother informed them with a pleased smirk. "If you're quite finished, we'd appreciate it if you'd join us so we can discuss your wedding. I believe two months from now should be appropriate."

The younger couple watched as his parents turned on heel and retreated from the room. Draco helped Hermione stand and then followed suit. He allowed her to fuss over the state of his oxford shirt and her hair before he took her hand and led her to follow their path.

"We are _not_ living here after we're married," Hermione hissed through gritted teeth.

Draco swallowed hard and nodded. And so it began. "Yes, love."


	44. Mistaken

**I guess I'm feeling a bit sappy lately. I hope you all enjoy this one. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

 **Mistaken**

Draco Malfoy meandered blindly through the halls of the manor before dawn. He paused at different portraits, recalling the histories and stories his father had told him from the time he was old enough to comprehend until he went off to Hogwarts. He sneered openly at those portraits and felt nothing when they returned his expression in kind.

While he lived at the manor to appease his mother, he rarely took his time studying his ancestral home. He'd long lost his taste for it after the war. He spent little of his time here, choosing instead to work long hours at his company while he attempted to avoid the reality which was quickly creeping up on him. Time not spent at the office was spent at social functions intended to repair his family's image. With his father gone, he now had the freedom to shape his own legacy and that meant doing his best to smear away the past.

He did it for himself and his mother, or at least that's what he said. However, in the deepest confines of his mind he knew there was something else, another cause provoking the redemption of his soul, what he could clean of it anyway.

In the papers, he was known as an austere professional. He bought and traded rare potions ingredients, all on the up and up of course, and rarely was he seen out with women. It seemed that the wizarding world was rather forgiving six years post-war as he was a much sought after bachelor. On the rare occasion that he found himself in need of a date, he never brought the same woman twice earning him a reputation of being womanizer as well without any factual support for it. Those women that he escorted to such functions spent the better part of the evening being seen on his arm, eating decadent food, and schmoozing with all sorts of well-known individuals. He then escorted them home and never spoke to them again. Rita Skeeter was just a fan of embellishments.

However, those days were soon to be over. The memory of his mother sitting down to have Sunday brunch with him in the gardens the previous week still lit his anger.

 _"You're getting a bit long in the tooth, dear. It's time you settled down."_

 _Draco glanced away from his scone and eyed his mother blandly. Despite the absolute panic in his chest, he merely drawled, "As you wish, mother. I trust your judgement."_

Because Draco had never considered that he would have a choice in whom he married. It wasn't expected with his upbringing. While she'd also clearly learned from their family's past mistakes, Narcissa Malfoy was still the traditional pureblood witch. She expected to request a formal contract for her son and Draco didn't doubt for one moment the woman she selected would come from an equally well-to-do family, and still be…pureblood.

Thus, the morning that his mother would present her choice and have a Ministry official present to draw up the official contract, Draco was up and reflecting—also dreading—on his prospects.

Blaise had thought it seemed most likely that his mother would select Astoria Greengrass as her first choice. Daphne had been married two years prior to Blaise himself and Pansy Parkinson was married and miserable with Theodore Nott. That left Astoria. Two years younger and a simpering elitist, the mere thought of her made Draco's blood run cold. She was sweet only on the outside and bitter on the inside from what he'd been told by her own sister. She would lie back and think of England like a good pureblood witch and give him an heir as was still expected. However, even as he tried his best to imagine it in a positive light, not once did the thought of it make him hard.

Yet when he tried late at night while taking a break from his work to imagine her in a more positive light, he always failed and his fantasy morphed. Someone else took her place under him…over him…however, she pleased really. He fantasized about pleasing her in any way she wished. She wouldn't be stiff as a board or, on the opposite, offer him faked screams and moans. She was always sincere when he thought about her because she never once cared about his ego in the past. She wouldn't just lie there but would touch him and kiss him. She'd ask for his touch, assert what she wanted from him in her demure voice. She'd moan softly and sigh, groan when their lovemaking built into an unbearable crescendo and call his name softly at his ear.

They were just fantasies though and ones he'd soon have to give up. His father's own indiscretions had hurt his mother and Draco had long promised himself he wouldn't be the same sort of man. He would be better than that, even if he didn't love the woman he was made to marry.

He was standing in the south library facing the arched windows when the sun broke over the horizon. He heaved a deep sigh as he turned on heel and left the room to shower and change. Soon he'd learn who his mother had selected for him and he'd sign his life away to the woman.

"I spent so much time poring over the prospects," Narcissa told him as she slathered her toast with jam at the breakfast table.

Draco hardly felt hungry but was forcing some eggs and sausages down anyway. "I know you did, mother."

"I think you'll be pleased, dear. She's quite the catch really. I don't understand for the life of me why she was single."

Nor why she wanted to marry him, Draco thought darkly. Money likely had a large part in her decision if he had to guess. Hardly dinted by war reparations, the Malfoy vaults were still full.

"I do wish you'd have put on proper robes for the occasion," Narcissa clucked her tongue at him. "You know how I feel about those muggle suits you've become attached to lately."

He did but he also didn't care. The muggle Roger Smith in London now handled all of his tailoring since he'd first stepped foot in the man's shop two years ago. Draco preferred a fitted suit, waistcoat and all. He felt like a proper English businessman in them and in some way separated from his past. He had Hermione Granger to thank for that. She was the one who'd recommended the man to him after all.

 _"He still makes all of my father's suits," she'd told him as they sipped cocktails at some inane Ministry function he'd been obligated to attend. "If you want something you can conduct your business in the muggle world in, he's the one I'd recommend."_

She'd not led him wrong. She'd become somewhere between a good acquaintance and a friend over the years once he'd gotten up the nerve to offer her an apology. She didn't judge and she was always polite to his dates when they crossed paths at various functions. He enjoyed her conversation and though he'd never admit it aloud, he relished the moments when she laughed at his dry jokes. He never got the impression that she was faking it either.

She was successful in her own right at the Ministry and he remained impressed with her accomplishments in wizarding law. Having chosen to finish her last year of education and then won herself a rather shocking internship with one of the revered tenured attorneys at the Ministry, she had come up in her own right as the only expert in muggle vs wizarding law. Rumor had it that Kingsley did his best to keep her happy on staff at the Ministry as many independent firms were constantly courting her favor.

Last he'd heard she'd finally ended things with Weasley. How they'd gone on together for nearly four years and the moron had never made a commitment to her was beyond Draco's understanding. He no longer saw her the same way he had in school. She was certainly still a little know-it-all and he still told her so but now it was friendly teasing. She was just as bossy as well but it no longer annoyed Draco the way it once had. He also quite liked those abundant curls that she couldn't quite seem to tame and the brown eyes which seemed to shine whenever she laughed.

None of that mattered though. In less than an hour, he would sign his life away to a witch of his mother's choosing. It mattered not who he was actually in love with because no one knew but him anyway. He'd take his mother's choice and hope for the best.

"Wait here," his mother instructed him after breakfast. She'd chosen the central drawing room for the occasion and made him take a seat on the expensive sofa where he knew she'd request one of the house elves to take their picture as his father and mother had before him and theirs before them.

Draco fidgeted as he sat there, his knee bouncing agitatedly. After a moment, he shrugged out of his jacket, leaving him in his waistcoat. He didn't care much at this point what the witch thought of his attire.

He glanced at the expensive watch on his wrist and sighed. He wanted this over with. He planned on calling on Blaise afterwards to play some quidditch to let off some steam.

He stiffened at the sound of heels clicking along the marble floors. They echoed at first and he knew from the rhythm that it wasn't his mother. He counted the steps and estimated the seconds that it would take before she showed herself.

A shadow crept ahead of her and his breath seized in his lungs when she stepped gingerly into the room. Draco was on his feet before he realized what he was doing. _Her_? His mother had truly chosen _her_?

Hermione had little time to react as Draco approached her at a rapid pace. Her back hit the wall as he reached for her, his mouth crashing down on hers and stealing a muffled squeak from her as he kissed her. She was so shocked that protesting was the last thing on her mind.

Draco didn't know what to think of her appearance here or the fact that she'd been his mother's choice. Without a thought he'd threaded the fingers of one hand into her curls that were pulled back from her face, his other hand having gone for her waist. Her surprised squeak allowed him the opportunity to taste her tongue as he'd long fantasized about doing. She didn't push him away and he was thankful for it.

The papers that had been in Hermione's hands had skittered to the floor as she finally brought her hands up to his chest where she pressed them. She needed to speak, but Merlin help her, he had talented lips. She'd finally be able to answer Ginny's teasing question about his snogging abilities.

"Draco!"

He pulled back at his mother's shrill shout. He didn't understand when Hermione pulled out of his grasp and carefully knelt in her snug pencil skirt to collect the papers she'd dropped. One glance told him her face was flushed with embarrassment and he finally looked to his mother.

Suddenly, the truth dawned on him when he caught Astoria Greengrass peeking over his mother's shoulder, eyes wide with surprise.

Narcissa was usually an articulate person but found herself suddenly at a loss of words. She shook her head to refocus and pinned her son with a serious stare.

"Draco, what on earth are you doing to Miss Granger?"

His pale brows furrowed as he glanced between all three women. Astoria didn't look upset but thoroughly amused which he found odd. His mother's lips were pursed tight with displeasure and one glance at Hermione told him she felt much like finding a hole to have swallow her up.

Karma was cruel, he'd realized long ago and apparently not done with him yet.

"I—I thought…" he shook his head.

"I think you were mistaken, dear," Narcissa told him firmly. "A Ministry attorney is required to draw up and oversee the signing of the contract. Of course, I'd request Miss Granger. It was no easy task getting on her schedule either."

Hermione swallowed nervously as she chanced a look up at him and immediately looked away. She'd suspected that maybe he might fancy her but had never been very sure. That kiss certainly cleared things up for her. She felt horrible for him as he was clearly mortified now.

Draco felt like he'd just swallowed a quaffle and couldn't speak. He was ready to hyperventilate and shoved past his mother and Astoria as he escaped the room.

The portraits that mocked him earlier in the day seemed to take pleasure in his angry expression as he stomped through the manor. Upon reaching the center of the manor, he burst through the back doors leading to the gardens. He didn't stop until he reached the fountain at the center and then finally allowed his shoulders to sag in defeat. Mortification was an understatement. Not only did Hermione Granger now know about his feelings for her, but Astoria Greengrass would likely see fit to turn down the marriage contract. His mother would be inconsolable and therefore, he would be miserable on all counts.

He took a seat on one of the crescent stone benches facing the flowing fountain and sighed. He'd just been so shocked and relieved to see her standing there that he'd not been able to think straight. Had he been paying attention, he'd have seen the contract papers in her hands or possibly noticed that she was only half participating in the kiss.

With his head in his hands and the rushing water making enough noise to drown out anything else, he didn't realize he wasn't alone until it was too late.

"Draco…"

Draco groaned when he felt gentle hands trying to pry his own away from his face. When he finally consented and lifted his head, he found Hermione crouched between his knees making them eye level.

He tried not to shiver when she reached up and brushed a thumb along his lips firmly. He didn't know what to make of her soft smile.

"Sorry, but you had my lipstick on you."

He tried to pull back from her but she halted any further movement when she cupped his cheek.

"Draco, why did you never say anything?"

He shrugged and, feeling rather petulant, refused to meet her eyes. "You were with Weasley. Why in Merlin's name would you have ever wanted me anyway?" He snorted at himself, "Which makes what I did even more stupid. There's no way you would have ever agreed to something so archaic, especially not with me."

Hermione huffed at his childishness. "Well, with you acting like this I certainly wouldn't have. And in case you can't count, Ron and I ended things over a year ago now. You've had plenty of time to approach me." She sighed as she stood up and turned to take a seat next to him.

Draco tried not to eye her legs which were visible from the knee down but found himself incapable. He liked her in an evening gown at the social events he often found her at but he liked her in work attire as well.

"I'm clearly a terrible flirt."

He lifted his head finally and met her eyes with an incredulous stare. "Excuse me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked down at her hands twisting in her lap. "I've been flirting with you for months, or so I'd thought. I'm rather clumsy at it. You didn't seem interested so I eventually stopped, thinking I'd misread your interest."

Draco blinked at her much like an owl and then turned to stare at the rushing fountain. "Bloody hell," he muttered to himself. He looked back at her and found her staring at him, pink cheeked and biting her lower lip the way she often did when she was thinking. "You mean that you…" he pointed a finger at himself, "but that I…" He shook his head, unable to put it into words.

"Yes, you great prat," she finally nodded, huffing at him again.

"But…when? Why?"

"Why," she laughed. "You're beginning to make me question myself even. The better question in my opinion would be why not. No one debates me on Ministry politics like you do, Draco. No one listens to me like you do." She sobered a bit and her smiled softened. "No one looks at me the way you do."

Hermione turned away from his intense gaze and glanced about the garden around them. It was early spring but it was already lush with life again.

"No one but Harry and Ginny know this but…Ron did propose to me just before we broke up. I froze up when he asked. I knew it was the next logical step in our relationship but I also knew that it wasn't right. I was in love with someone else and he knew it." Hermione turned back to him and reached up hesitantly to touch his cheek again. "You'll be quite satisfied to know that he realized it was you. He didn't speak to me for nearly six months. He said some rather unsavory things as well to which he eventually apologized but not before I hexed him six ways from Sunday."

"You can't help who you love," Draco offered. Internally, he was trying his best not to explode. That and making a mental note to have some rather strong words with her ex.

"No, you can't," Hermione agreed softly. She brushed her thumb along his prominent cheekbone and appreciated the way he closed his eyes contentedly. It was hard now to imagine a time when he'd have shirked away from her touch. "Draco, your mother asked me to speak with you."

That broke the spell for him and he opened his eyes and turned away from her again. He was bereft at the loss of her touch when her hand fell away but he couldn't look at her knowing the reality he was still expected to accept.

"Spare me the translation of her lecture, Granger," he growled. "I know what's expected of me."

"She says you have two options." She wet her lips nervously as he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes to indicate he was listening. "You can agree to marry Astoria and I'll still oversee your contract or…"

Draco tried not to allow himself to hope for his other option. He knew his mother well and while she had always been on the lesser side of blood supremacy and by no means below requesting the assistance of a muggle-born in conducting any business, he also didn't feel she'd ever accept a wife for him who was less than half-blood, at least.

"Or," he prompted when his patience began to wear thin.

"Or," Hermione continued nervously, "you can choose me and she'll have to schedule another attorney with the Ministry which may delay the process by a week. She said the choice was yours."

"And you…" he gestured with a hand between them, "you would agree? Muggle-borns don't do marriage contracts. I'm not an idiot. It's outdated and rather stupid really…"

"But," she interrupted with a small smile, "I actually love you." She bobbed her head as she rolled her eyes, "And your mother already addressed that. She offered the idea of delaying the wedding by a year to allow us time to sort of date."

"She did," he asked, not daring to truly hope this wasn't a dream.

Hermione nodded, her cheeks warm with a fresh blush. "She did. She was…surprised that you'd not expressed any interest in me before now but she said she wanted you to be happy above all else."

"You," he finally nodded, "I want you."

"I was rather hoping you'd say that." She smiled at him as she reached up to frame his face again and pressed her lips against his softly.

Draco sighed happily at the soft touch of her lips on his. She felt even better than he'd imagined she would. She kissed him like she wanted to drink him in and the feeling was very much mutual.

Not content with her seated next to him, Draco reached for her hips and quickly dragged her across his lap. She kissed him deeper after that, her tongue running along the edge of his lips for entrance and he'd not deny her. He'd not deny her anything from this moment on.

"Merlin, Hermione," he managed between kisses, "I know I was horrible to you growing up but I swear on all things those muggles hold holy that I'll be so good to you as a husband."

Hermione gentled their kiss until she could pull back to see his face. She caressed his cheeks again, quite pleased that she could now do so. Honestly, quite pleased that he would be hers.

"I know you will, Draco."

She leaned into his touch when he brushed a hand through her hair, fingers tugging gently at her soft curls when they reached her shoulders. She was disappointed when he pulled his hands back but watched curiously as he reached into the inner pocket of his waistcoat. Perched between two fingers was a lovely diamond solitaire. It was evil of her but she knew Ron would just choke once he saw it. It would serve him right for the awful things he'd said to her, even if she had actually forgiven him eventually.

"I was thinking of you when I had it commissioned in Diagon Alley," Draco admitted. "I loathed the idea of honestly putting it on any other woman's hand. Thank you for making it so that I won't have to now."

Hermione bit her lip, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as he reached for her hand and held her eyes as he slipped it on the appropriate finger.

"You're bloody perfect," he told her and drew her hand to him to press a soft kiss against her knuckles.

She sniffed softly but smiled at him. "I'll make sure you remember saying that the first time we fight."

He wove a hand into her hair again as he brought her towards him. He preened a little at her soft sigh the moment their lips met and was thankful to be the one elicit that response from her.

From the edge of the garden and just out of sight, Narcissa Malfoy watched her son and now future daughter-in-law. She sighed thankfully upon seeing him so happy. For too long she'd watched him shut himself away from the world. If only she'd known before that his heart had already been taken, she'd have approached the woman herself.

"Best mistake you ever made, dear," she smiled.


	45. Even the Books

**Just a silly bit of humor. :)**

* * *

 **Even the Books**

"What happened," Ron whispered.

Harry glanced over his shoulder and gave him a bewildered shrug. "No idea. She had a meeting before she came in and she's been ranting and hexing random things ever since she made it to her office."

The duo listened from a safe distance as Hermione paced in her office. Her muffled voice could be heard over the clatter of books and paper flying across the room. The idea that she might even be harming one of her precious books was enough to alarm the whole office.

Just as Harry had explained, she'd arrived to the MLE office in a snit. It was rare when her temper flared to such a degree. Usually, she was fairly even tempered. Occasionally, Harry had to talk her down from some petty retaliation against one of the Ministry establishment that tried to thwart her progress. However, most of the time she was her normal polite and kind-hearted self.

Today wasn't a normal day obviously.

"We need reinforcements," Harry sighed when the sound of a book slamming into her closed door caused poor Ernie to nearly wet himself as he passed by.

"Ugh," Ron's lip curled in disgust, "fine. I'll owl the git."

Her anger didn't seem to wane in the interim as they waited. Neither would admit it aloud but they were both relieved to see his arrival when he came strutting down the hall.

He stopped in front of them both and crossed his arms over his chest, one pale brow ticked high on his forehead.

"Where's the cauldron fire," he quipped.

Harry and Ron pointed simultaneously at her closed office door.

"We don't exactly enjoy doing this," Harry told him sternly. "However, we've accepted that you're the only one who can actually stop the madness when she's like this."

Draco rolled his eyes at the two of them but merely nodded. He dropped his arms and pivoted on heel to approach her office. He flinched when another book hit the door and he glanced over his shoulder in question.

 _Even the books_ , he mouthed to the duo. They both merely shrugged.

With a heavy breath, Draco knocked on the door.

"Hermione, love, can I come in?"

There was no answer and Draco honestly didn't expect to get one. He'd only had to do this a few times now during their relationship and knew what to expect. He turned the knob and quickly slipped inside. A book lobbed him in his right ear and he jerked forward when a paperweight socked in him the gut.

"Bloody hell," he wheezed as he tried to ease further into her storm. She hadn't even noticed him yet and was still flicking her wand about in a mad fashion, growling angrily to herself something about men and idiocy.

Draco was able to sneak up behind her and, in one fluid motion, he nabbed her wand and wrapped his other arm around the small witch before he pulled her flush against him and leaned down to press his mouth against hers.

Hermione squeaked at the sudden flurry of movement, nearly losing her balance if it weren't for his arm wrapped like a steel band around her. However, his lips soothed her fraught nerves and the heat of him leveled her emotions to a more manageable level.

He tried not to preen a bit when she moaned against his mouth and her hands came up to fist one in his shirt while the other went to wrap behind his neck to pull him closer. Her flurry of emotions transferred from her magic to the physical release he offered her until she eventually went slack against him.

Draco trailed a series of kisses along her face as she slumped against him and rested her head on his shoulder. He carefully slipped her wand back into her skirt where she kept it and brought his other arm around her to hold her dead weight.

He smirked slightly at the sight she made. All warm and tender now, she'd exhausted herself as she always did when she got like this.

"You really need to find a better way to channel your anger through your magic, love," he advised with a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Want to tell me what happened?"

The last time this had happened, one of those old sacks of bones in the Wizengamot challenged new legislation she'd recommended and then belittled her interest in the cause based upon her blood status. It had been thinly veiled, of course, but everyone heard the insult for what it was.

Anyone with even two brain cells to rub together knew better than to insult Hermione Granger's blood status. Even more so after she married Draco Malfoy.

When Draco pulled back to gauge her expression, he didn't like the way she was biting her lip and not meeting his eyes.

The door to her office burst open a few moments later and Harry and Ron watched wide-eyed as the blonde stormed out.

"What happened," Harry asked.

Draco halted in his procession, Hermione shuffling in her doorway uncomfortably behind him.

"I'm going to dismember Zacharias Smith and then hex Blaise Zabini right in the nose," he announced bluntly.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, "what'd they do?"

Draco glanced at Hermione who was worrying her lip still and then back at her friends who he loathed to admit that he no longer hated. Love did strange things to a bloke.

"One made some rather unflattering comments about why I wanted to marry Hermione and the other stood there without defending her."

"Duel him," Ron encouraged with punch in the air.

Harry backhanded him across the chest. "We're aurors, Ron! We can't encourage that!"

"Like hell," Ron argued. "Get 'em, Malfoy!"

Draco gave a curt nod and marched off to find their former schoolmates, one of which he usually considered a friend.

"Bloody hell," Harry grumbled as he dropped his head into his hands.

Once Draco was gone, Hermione turned to examine her self-inflicted damage. She sighed dejectedly.

"Even the bloody books."


	46. Fated

**It's a bit vague and I've played with this trope before but I hope you'll all still enjoy. It's one I've had on the back burner for a while.**

* * *

 **Fated**

From a young age, his mother had told him he'd just know.

The minute he'd first laid eyes on her on the train he had and he'd hated her for it.

He'd locked into that hate and tried to harness it. Every time she frowned at him or glared, something inside him unraveled. The thing inside him, the bit of magic that recognized her and knew what she was to him rebelled each time.

He spent too much time in the loo sixth year retching when he wasn't trying to mend the vanishing cabinet. His magic knew. It knew and was trying to stop him from going against fate.

When they led him into the Wizengamot to stand trial, she was there. He didn't see her but he could feel her. Despite his sins, the connection hadn't snapped. As he sat with his head hung, chin against his chest, he wondered if Azkaban would be the final straw. If the darkness would snap the chord which tied them and release him from his faint hold on the light.

But Potter spoke for him. Weasley, too which was the greater shock. She said not a word but he felt her gaze on him. She passed him in the hall while he was meeting his probation officer and the scent of her floral perfume nearly floored him in his already weak state. The bloody wizard didn't understand when he stopped to brace himself against the stone wall. He felt her gaze still.

They put a trace on him and his wand and sent him on his way with no direction. The parchment with the hefty fine felt light in his hands as he lingered by the fountain in the atrium. His vaults were his own but they'd seized the manor and some other Malfoy properties within Britain until further notice. He had no idea where to go.

He whipped his head around to his right when he heard someone grumble under their breath and found Weasley standing next to him, a frown on his freckled face and his hands safely in his pockets.

"She doesn't know," Ron told him.

Draco bit back an instinctive insult and merely sighed. "Pardon?" He was just too tired to parry insult for insult with him.

Ron ticked his head to the side as he eyed the broken man before him and shook his head. "Hermione. She doesn't know that you're…well, you know."

The vagueness irritated him and Draco snapped. "You're going to have to be clearer, Weasley. I'm what?"

The ginger man's cheeks flared a familiar pink color but he clenched his jaw, biting back what was likely a less than kind retort.

"You know what you both are to each other, Malfoy. I reckon you've likely known from the start."

Draco squared his shoulders and for once prepared not to back down. "And what if I have?"

Ron snorted but he wasn't amused. He looked disgusted.

"It just goes to show you're the coward you've always been. She deserves better than to be fated to you."

Draco chose to ignore the coward comment as he couldn't really argue. He had been a coward. The worst of the worst.

"And how did you come to this conclusion?"

Ron shoved his hands into his pockets again in an attempt to control his shaking fists and shuffled on his feet.

"Something happened to her that night your aunt…tortured her." He was pleased when Draco's shoulders slumped at the reminder of that night and his chin lost some of its defiance. "I think it was the first time she felt it. She keeps saying something, some sort of magic, was cutting through the pain in intervals. She thinks it's the only thing that kept her from going insane."

Draco swallowed the bile he felt rising in his throat. "I did the best I could," he whispered.

Ron nodded and he seemed to relax some. "She's pulled away from me. She won't commit to dating. She hasn't said why but I figured it out. I've seen the way she's watched you. I've noticed that you can't seem to stop yourself from finding her in the room. Worse…I felt the bloody wave of it and nearly retched right there in the Wizengamot."

The blonde straightened his spine. "I don't plan to make a move, Weasley. I won't be getting in your way."

Ron scoffed at that and glanced over his shoulder quickly. Harry and Hermione were saying their goodbyes to Kingsley and soon to be making their way over.

"You honestly think I'm going to allow you to make her miserable just because you're a bloody git and a poor excuse for a wizard? Think again, Malfoy. You're going to rehabilitate your lousy self. You're going to do something worthwhile, I don't really care what, but something. And then you're going to make her happy the way no one else can."

He observed the threat in his former enemy's blue eyes. There was anger there for not being the one who could have her and defeat for not being enough. How many times had Ron Weasley felt like he wasn't enough in his life?

Draco didn't feel like it was his place to ask that question.

"Sounds like a threat, Weasley."

"It will be if you think you're just going to ignore her. She's too good for you, Malfoy. Her blood, despite what you might think, is better than yours. She's frustrating and passionate and bloody brilliant…and I don't want to see her suffer just because she was cursed to be one of the rare few to have such a connection with someone—and that someone happened to be your sorry arse."

Ron began to turn, having said enough in his opinion but stopped when a hand shot out and gripped his sleeve.

"I don't think that, Weasley." He sighed when the redhead lifted a lone brow in question. "Her blood. I'm not going to wax poetic about how my views have changed but there's nothing dirty about her."

Ron didn't say a word but merely nodded.

Draco watched him walk away to his friends. For the first time, their eyes met. Hers widened the slightest upon recognition of his attention and she quickly turned away, sandwiched between Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

With money not being an issue, he started by relinquishing the manor to the Ministry. He didn't ask for money and didn't make any directives for what they should do with it. He just didn't want to step foot in it again. Once his other properties were released to him, he moved into the small townhouse in wizarding London his family owned.

And then he left Britain for a while.

Draco traveled. He soaked up everything he could. He ate unfamiliar foods, traveled by strange muggle contraptions, wore new clothes.

And he didn't come back for three years, two days after Christmas.

When he returned to Britain, the first person he sought out was Blaise Zabini which was no surprise to his former housemate.

"Things are well," Draco asked as he took a seat in one of the wingback chairs flanking the fireplace.

Blaise handed him a glass of firewhiskey before he took a seat in the adjacent chair. "If you mean your publishing house you've had me overseeing the last two years, then yes. Who would have guessed that the magical community would eat up muggle literature so quickly?"

"Even the most bigoted bastard can't ignore a good story," Draco smirked, his glass halfway to his lips.

Blaise frowned at that and set his glass aside, reaching for the portfolio in his lap. He handed it to Draco with pursed lips and waited.

Draco's expression darkened as he surveyed the paperwork. "Why, Blaise? Why didn't you just take care of this?"

He scoffed at the question and threw back the small bit of liquor in his glass. "And let you continue to run? No, I don't think so. It's a simple filing error really. A quick visit to the Ministry will solve the issue."

The blonde tossed the portfolio in the fire, ignoring his friend's irritated growl. "I knew it couldn't be a good thing when you'd started playing quidditch with those two idiots. Been in your ear, has he?"

The dark look Blaise gave him could have boiled the trickiest of potions. "I can't believe you'd ignore something like this. Of course I listened when he approached me earlier this year. What were you thinking?"

Draco turned to stare into the flames of the fire. He twirled his glass in one hand absently.

"I was doing what the bastard told me to do. I'm sorry it didn't align with either of your schedules."

Blaise opened his mouth but couldn't think of anything to say to that. He was too stunned and just watched as Draco tipped his head and left without another word.

He'd spent years wandering. Searching for what could possibly redeem him to her and each day, each year, he'd come up empty. Eventually, one just had to throw in the towel. Thus, Draco returned to England to face reality.

Monday morning, he found himself making his way through the visitor's entrance of the Ministry. They weighed his wand and returned it without a word. Two lifts and three hallways later, he stood outside of her office.

 _Hermione Granger  
Director of Muggle-Wizarding Relations_

Draco reached to straighten the knot of his tie and smoothed his hands over his suit. He touched his hands to his hair to make certain all strands were still perfecting smoothed back. When he could think of nothing else to check with his appearance, he did the only thing left. He knocked on her door.

He drew a deep breath when she called out for him to enter and made his way into her office.

Hermione felt it before she saw him. That wave of emotion lapping at her chest. The way her heart squeezed and her breath caught in her throat made her crush her quill nearly to the breaking point. She'd not felt it in at least three years and she was unaccustomed to the intensity.

He was the balm to her fire and she was the anchor for his ego. They weren't opposites but complimentary shapes, molded in anticipation of one another.

When she looked up, Draco Malfoy stood before her with paperwork in his hands. He was broader than she remembered. Possibly even taller. It was hard to tell. No longer did his pointed features take over his face but fit him perfectly.

"Malfoy," she greeted, her throat tight with nerves.

"Granger," Draco nodded.

He tried not to focus on how she'd changed but also how little. Her wild hair was still long but now only a little past her shoulders instead of far down her back. Still clipped away from her face to one side, the clips were different and more mature. She wore more makeup than in school but still less than most women he crossed paths with. She was a petite woman but her presence was enough to crush his ego.

He took a seat in one of the chairs she gestured to and handed her the paperwork he'd brought. "Blaise brought it to my attention that there was a filing error with my business. I've come to rectify the issue."

Hermione swallowed and took the paperwork he passed across the desk, careful not to touch his hand in the process. She wouldn't be able to handle the onslaught of sensation yet.

"Thank you. Yes, I'd been made aware of it recently. I hadn't anticipated that you'd deliver in person," she commented, her eyes glued to the parchment.

Draco swallowed as he sat forward in his chair. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

Hermione looked up in confusion and if she'd been standing would have likely collapsed under the intensity of his eyes. There was fire there that she'd not seen in at least three years. And she felt something strange crawl the length of her spine. Like a warm caress, not familiar but not unwelcome.

"N-no need to apologize," she forced a smile and reached for her rubber stamp. She stamped the parchment with a bit too much force and placed it to the side to file. "You're in compliance now. No issues."

Draco closed his eyes for a second longer than normal, and steeled himself for what he would have to do next.

"Please don't belittle yourself by acting like you don't know what we are to each other, Granger. I know you read my letters."

Hermione's jaw clenched as her own emotions took control, pushing away the caress with a force that nearly floored the man across from her.

"You left the country. I should think I'm allowed to do as I please. That includes ignoring that you'd rather run from this than approach me like any other man would."

She wouldn't admit that she had indeed read his first few letters. He owled once a month the entire time he was away. However, after one and then three and then five, it became too much to bear reading his words. The idea that he wasn't going to face her took root and she left all the others unopened.

His eyes narrowed at her insinuation. She was poking at his ego, at a sore spot regarding his inherent nature he'd been working so hard to reverse.

"I was doing what your idiot friend told me I needed to in order to be worthy." He shifted forward in his chair, nearly leaning across the desk separating them. "I wasn't going to but Weasley's not an idiot like I wanted to think. He manipulated me."

Hermione paled slightly at his mention of Ron's meddling. "He mentioned how it would make me suffer. I didn't realize you intended to torture me with it."

He leaned closer, his eyes boring into hers and mere feet now separating them. "Step one: rehabilitate. Step two: do something worthwhile. Step three: make her happy. In none of the directions I was given was there ever torture mentioned." His lip curled into a sneer. "I gave the bloody manor to the Ministry. I couldn't go back knowing what you'd experienced there. I left, not to torture _you_ , but to make good on doing something worthwhile which I realize I've likely not even scratched the surface of yet."

Hermione blinked at him, her breath quickened the closer he came and the darker his expression turned. He wouldn't hurt her but she felt his anger and pain in waves.

"I haven't the slightest idea what else to do in order to be worth your time and attention. I have no clue how to make you happy."

She swallowed and her vision blurred when her tear ducts began to give way. "You have to be present to do that, you git."

Draco lost the last hold on his self-control and closed the space between them. Her breath escaped her in a gasp against his lips. She tasted of tea and Christmas biscuits. She kissed in a way that was both soft and demanding, something that didn't make sense to his spinning head.

He wasn't aware exactly how he ended up on the other side of her desk and with the witch pressed tightly against his chest. He fought a shiver when her slender fingers worked into the short hair at the nape of his neck, the other hand ghosting across his cheek.

Hermione didn't understand how she lost her battle with reason but knew it had been inevitable the moment he ever decided to show himself to her again. Three years he'd been gone. Three years he'd denied her the bliss of his touch. His kiss was gentle but teasing and he seemed to have a liking for her lower lip.

"Bloody hell!"

She would have jumped out of her skin under any other circumstances were someone to find her snogging in her office of all places. With Draco Malfoy of all people. Yet she found herself not wanting to leave the circle of his arms when they parted enough to find Harry Potter and Ron Weasley standing in her doorway.

Harry was scratching at his temple with the tip of his wand, his head tilted in curious wonder at the sight before him. He knew. She knew that he did because Ron could never keep a secret about someone he despised as much as Malfoy, even if it did involve her.

Ron had his arms crossed over his chest. His face was an odd mixture of irritation and relief. He had enough mind to shut the door behind him so as not to draw an audience from her department.

A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her it was the end of the work day and they'd likely come to collect her for dinner in Diagon Alley with Ginny and Luna.

"I could hex the bleeding life out of you, Malfoy," Ron growled.

Harry snorted, a lopsided smirk now on his face as he gazed at them behind his glasses. "I think you'd have to aim truer than this morning if you don't want to hit Hermione in the process."

Draco scoffed and didn't relinquish his hold on her. He felt her fingers curl into his expensive shirt as she faced the red-faced ginger.

"Ron, could we not please?"

Her tone was commanding but he felt her shivering under his touch. He'd expected it. They'd been apart for too long and would need some time before the effects of their connection calmed.

Ron opened his mouth to retort but Harry stopped him by covering his mouth with a hand and turning him towards the door.

"I think we'll just have dinner by ourselves with Ginny and Luna. I think you and Hermione have quite enough to discuss, Malfoy."

Draco found himself thankful to Harry Potter for the second time in his life. He nodded his thanks and waited for the two to shuffle back out the door. She was watching him when he focused his attention on her again.

He leaned down to kiss her again, breathing in her sigh. He lost track of time as they snogged in her office. They used the time to allow the sensations to settle and their respective emotions to calm.

Hermione pressed her forehead into his chest when he pulled back, feeling breathless and a multitude of unexamined emotions. She wanted him but she was still upset with him.

As if reading her mind, Draco lifted her head to see her. "I'm assuming you stopped reading my letters or you'd have a better understanding of what and why I was doing what I did."

"It hurt too much," she whispered brokenly.

He sighed, disappointed with himself as always, and kissed her forehead.

"Let's get out of here. We have a lot to discuss."

An hour, then two, three, and five passed. They spoke over dinner as he insisted she be fed something. They continued over dessert which they brought back to his townhouse. He kissed her some more when they exhausted their words. She fell asleep in his arms, a contented pile of warmth.

He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve her. But as he whispered the words into her hair and held her closer against his chest, a wave of emotion…released. Something inside him clicked and unlocked the deadbolt around his anger with himself. Nothing changed his feelings about his past decisions but something suddenly snapped the now thin string holding his self-loathing to his heart.

"Let go, Draco," she muttered, half-asleep. She felt the change in him as she'd pressed for it.

The connection was complete.

"I'll never leave you again," he whispered.


	47. Trouble

**Not much plot here. More of a random moment really.**

* * *

 **Trouble**

She released a slow breath past her lips in an effort to control her breathing but still found herself panting as her heartbeat began to slow. His skin was slick against hers and he was heavy even as he held his weight on sturdy elbows. His soft hair tickled across her chest as his lips pressed against her neck, no doubt he tasted the salt from her sweat. Her hands finally fell away from his biceps where she'd held onto him, mildly impressed that she couldn't wrap her hands around their girth.

He hummed deep in the back of his throat as his kisses fluttered down her neck and the center of her chest. She watched through half-lidded eyes as he made his careful, sweet descent and halted at her stomach.

Draco watched the way her ribs showed when on each exhale and marveled at the smooth skin. It hadn't been as bad as he'd imagined. With time to himself later, he'd admit that it was a far cry from bad. The complete opposite actually.

He should have known. Should have known by the way she kissed. They were clearly physically compatible. He doubted she would have moaned his name as she came if she weren't out of her mind with pleasure. It wasn't something she would have been able to hide.

They'd agreed to make the best of it. Now he was certain that at least their bedroom wouldn't be a problem.

He looked up when he felt her fingers tangling in his hair, tugging gently. The rings on her left hand were warm as they grazed his scalp. Her warm brown eyes gazed back, less glazed now as her mind righted itself.

One corner of his mouth lifted in a confident smirk as he stared back confidently. "You said my name, you know."

Hermione's eyes narrowed just slightly but she didn't argue as she might normally whenever he'd tried to rile her at work.

"You said mine, too, you tosser."

His shoulders lifted in a shrug and he shifted himself back up her body until his mouth was even with hers. He leaned down to press the softest of kisses to her lips. He couldn't deny now that he liked doing it.

"At least the sex won't be a problem," he noted without a hint of teasing. He was perfectly serious. He couldn't have been the only one worried about it after they'd been matched for that blasted law.

She rolled her eyes at him and gave him a gentle shove as she sat up. Draco shifted onto his side as he studied the shape of her. Even her slender back was beautiful. So much so that he reached a finger out to trace the tip along the notches of her spine.

She jumped at the touch but didn't stop him as she leaned forward to grasp the robe on the nearby chair. He didn't argue when she slid it over her shoulders and then stood to tie the belt.

Hermione watched as he dropped his hand to the bed then rolled onto his back. He clasped his hands over his stomach and she bit her lip as she remembered the way she clawed her short nails over his toned abdominals. There were still faint red lines from it.

She turned to sit on the bed, her legs crossed at the ankle as she leaned against the headboard. A shower was definitely in order but she was actually ovulating so she would wait a bit.

"Be honest. It was alright," Draco asked.

He was staring at the ceiling above them. She'd just noticed that he'd charmed it to twinkle like the night sky.

Hermione looked down at her hands playing with the belt of her robe and nodded to herself. She laughed but it was somewhere between hallow and warm. She offered him a small smile and she meant it.

"Better than."

Draco nodded, a faint smile now on his lips again. "I think we will with time."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Will what, Draco?"

He turned to look at her and sighed. "Fall in love."

Her heart stopped for the shortest of moments before kick starting at an even faster pace. They'd been cordial with one another once they'd been matched together. He reserved his nastier quips for Harry and Ron but only teased her with warm grins attached.

"I'd like that actually," she admitted. She'd thought it too much to hope for when she'd signed the contract with the Ministry. If he was interested, she wouldn't oppose the possibility. A marriage with wonderful sex would be appreciated. However, a marriage with wonderful sex with a husband that loved her would be the best and _normal_ option.

His eyes were warm as he regarded her and then sprung from the bed suddenly. "I'm going to have a bath. Care to join me?"

Her brows rose on her forehead and he rolled his eyes in answer.

"Come on, Granger. I can't very well hide anything from you. Haven't been able to in years since we've been working together. I think it's fairly obvious that I like touching you. I'm fairly certain the feeling is mutual."

His teasing smirk was back and he was holding his hand out to her. He was bare form head to toe and not the least bit ashamed of it. However, as her eyes perused his tall form on their own accord, she couldn't help but understand why.

She rolled her eyes in answer but rested her hand in his, allowing him to pull her along with him to the shared bath.

"How sore are you," he asked as he turned the taps and began filling the large tub.

Her mouth twisted and she glared at him. "And why would I be?"

"You said it had been a while," he shrugged innocently, kind enough not to mention her ex and just how long it had been.

"Oh."

He approached her and lifted her face in his hands before he leaned down to press a kiss to her still swollen lips.

"Just trying to gauge if you're open to one more round before we actually bathe."

Her eyes fluttered under his tender gaze and she couldn't quite believe that this was Draco Malfoy. He'd stopped being mean years ago. Apologized numerous times. However, he'd still been an annoyance. Not a bad one really but a regular disturbance in her day. This would be an entirely new disturbance.

"Oh Merlin, I'm in trouble," she muttered before she lifted on her toes to kiss him again.


End file.
